Luxembourg, 10/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 10 June under the chairmanship of Zofija Mazej Kukovic, EU health ministers adopted conclusions on the key issues discussed: - reducing the burden of cancer, resistance to antimicrobial agents, the cooperation mechanism between the Council and Commission for implementing the EU's public health strategy, and the communication on information for patients and the general public about medicines (see also EUROPE 9678). On this occasion, the proposal for setting out the results of cancer screening in the various EU member states was presented, Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou told the press after the work. Ministers also decided to set up a European Day on Antimicrobial Resistance, to be launched on 18 October 2008 in Strasbourg. The Day's logo was presented in Luxembourg on Tuesday. As far as the communication on information for patients about medicines was concerned, ministers felt it was necessary to keep the ban on advertising in place, give patients clear and complete information and leave it up to professionals in the health sector and national health authorities to inform patients, said Ms Vassiliou, who will forward the proposals that resulted from this Council to Commissioner Günter Verheugen. The proposals will be discussed during the meeting of the pharmaceuticals forum in October 2008.
During the debate, the French minister and upcoming president of the Health Council, Roselyne Bachelot, said she hoped Mr Verheugen would “take our opinion into account” in the communication that he will be presenting this autumn. France is very keen on quality criteria but does not approve of self-regulation which does not allow the use of incentive sanctions, unlike Italian Secretary of State Francesca Martini, who said she was in favour of self-regulation. Patient information must be top quality, independent, neutral, reliable, objective, comprehensible, clear and complete, ministers agreed. It is also important that “the principles of public health win the day over mercenary interests” and “a careful eye should be kept on initiatives on self-medication and over-medication,” warned Luxemburg minister Mard de Bartolomeo. It is up to doctors, health professions and health authorities to provide patients with the information, pointed out Irish minster Mary Harney and Slovakian secretary of state Daniel Klacko. Harney also warned against the danger of advertising (which is not information) for medicines since this could lead to confusion in the minds of patients and increase the cost of the medicines. A ban on advertising of prescription medicines was called for by all ministers present, and they also highlighted the role that the EU can play as a driver in all these areas (see related article). (G.B./transl.jl/rt)