Autonomous communities are key in changing the relationship between public healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry

The autonomous elections are an opportunity to make commitments on vital issues for the autonomous communities: pharmaceutical politics. According to data from the Ministry of Finance, in only four years (from 2014 to 2018), pharmaceutical spending in hospitals has increased 31% in the autonomous communities, going from 5200 to 6804 million euros. This rise is largely due to the unstoppable increase in drug prices, especially the more innovative and intended to treat serious diseases, like cancer. The high and unjustified prices consequently reduce the budgets, which are also dedicated to other hospital and primary care needs faced daily by autonomous communities.

No es Sano has mailed a letter to the main parties that will be part of the upcoming elections on May 26th. In the letter, we call for their commitment to implement measures that will contribute to changing this situation, making the relationship between public healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry more transparent. We recognize that the regions can implement these changes on their own and it is the first step for a healthier model free of influences. We hope that they commit to these three concrete points:

• Ensure transparency and the release of the documents on the public purchase of medicines and health technologies;

• Improve the relationship model between the public sector and its health professionals and the industry by implementing standards to regulate conflicts of interests and guarantee independent decision making;

• Create spaces for reflection, debate and training that address enormous challenges, such as the biomedical model of innovation, the high prices and equitable access of innovative drugs, overmedicalization and ultimately, the sustainability of the healthcare system.

We have invited all of the political parties of each one of the autonomous communities that will take part in the upcoming elections to demonstrate their commitment to these principles by signing this declaration. Likewise, in No es Sano we will follow-up on the electoral proposals on pharmaceutical policy.