The European Union reached a provisional deal to strengthen the supply of essential medicines — such as antibiotics, insulin, vaccines, and painkillers — and avoid shortages by boosting domestic production and reducing reliance on imports.
Known as the Critical Medicines Act, the initiative seeks to avoid the kinds of withering drug shortages that were seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Specifically, the proposal targets supply-chain weaknesses for more than 200 medicines that are considered critical to the region’s health security, including treatments for rare diseases.
“With today’s agreement, we are taking practical action to reduce our vulnerabilities, diversify supply chains and strengthen Europe’s capacity to produce critical medicines and their ingredients closer to home,” said Neophytos Charalambides, the health minister for Cyprus, in a statement.
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