Europe's medicine access crisis: approval doesn't guarantee access

Europe faces a situation where officially approved medicines do not reach patients. The problem lies not in science, but in systems meant to ensure access. Experts call for urgent reforms to improve medicine availability.

Europe faces a paradoxical healthcare crisis: medicines that are officially approved and scientifically proven effective do not reach patients. This is not a failure of science, but a failure of the systems designed to ensure medicine availability.

The gap between approval and reality

The approval process and actual availability are two entirely separate stages in Europe's healthcare system. After a medicine receives regulatory approval, a new and often longer journey begins — negotiations over pricing, reimbursement decisions, and national health budget constraints. In many countries, this process takes years, during which patients remain untreated.

The problem is particularly acute with innovative medicines, such as cancer treatments and therapies for rare diseases. Although the European Medicines Agency approves these across the entire EU, access varies significantly between member states. Wealthier countries can afford higher prices, while smaller economies often have to forgo the latest treatment options.

Systemic reform is essential

The European Union has taken steps to improve the situation — including pharmaceutical legislation reform and implementation of a joint health technology assessment framework starting in 2025. These measures should harmonise assessment processes and reduce duplication across member states. However, critics argue that these reforms do not address the core problem: the differences in systems that create unequal access.

The solution requires a coordinated approach at European level — joint price negotiations, more flexible reimbursement models, and stronger mechanisms to ensure that scientific advances reach all European patients regardless of their country of residence. Healthcare policy should not be merely promises on paper, but real access to treatment.