Brussels, 01/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 2 October, European Commissioners Androulla Vassiliou (Health) and Günter Verheugen (Industry) will preside over the sad end of the Pharmaceutical Forum that was set up three years ago to bring European solutions to three particularly controversial issues: information to patients, prices and reimbursement conditions, and definition of the relative effectiveness of medicines. Based on the defunct G10, which it succeeded, the Pharmaceutical Forum on several occasions brought together working groups made up of high level representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, national health systems, professionals in the sector and patients. The results confirm, it there is any need, the ineffectiveness of this way of operating
Before a working lunch, hosted by French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot, over which combating counterfeiting will be discussed, Forum participants will be asked by the two Commissioners to adopt the Forum's final conclusions and recommendations. The text opens with an invitation to the Commission to begin a new reflection process in 2009 on the issues that have yet to be resolved. With regard to information to patients, the conclusions acknowledge the urgent need to provide accessible and high quality information. The Forum acknowledges the role of national authorities in disseminating this information and suggests that a “European library” be set up to store high quality information for patients. With regard to the other two matters, the conclusions note that they are totally dependent on the good will of member states, which should, nevertheless, improve the exchange of information on the criteria for assessing medicines with a view to pricing and reimbursement. (O.J./transl.rt)