New EU legislation threatens the availability of life-saving medicines: Pharmacists
Dutch pharmacists warn that new European Union drug legislation could leave patients without essential medicines. The Dutch Association of Hospital Pharmacists (NVZA), the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (KNMP), and the Network of Specialized Compounding Pharmacies (NGB) say the law may prevent compounding pharmacies from supplying other pharmacies.
Compounding pharmacies make drugs not available from commercial manufacturers, including medications for children, rare diseases, and critically ill patients. They also produce medicines during shortages. “If that happens, patients—both adults and children—in emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms will face life-threatening risks,”Claartje Samson, NVZA chair, told NOS.
The medications affected include life-saving treatments like flucytosine for severe fungal infections and liquids for children’s sedation, epilepsy, or blood pressure management.
“Imagine a patient with severe bleeding or infection going into shock. You need medication immediately to stabilize blood pressure and heart rate and prevent death. The availability of such medicines is now at stake,” Samson added.
Currently, collegial supply is tolerated under Dutch rules but not explicitly allowed by EU law. Caretaker Health Minister Robbert D. Bruijn is negotiating in Brussels to preserve the practice.
“We are strongly opposed to making collegial supply impossible. We believe a patient should always receive the medication they need,” Bruijn said.
