News

The annual General Assembly of the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (SFEE) was held on Wednesday, April 16th 2008, in the presence of the President, Dionysios S. Filiotis, the members of the board of directors and the representatives of the member companies of the Association.
The following resolution was unanimously approved within the framework of the general assembly:

RESOLUTION

of the G E N E R A L  A S S E M B L Y

of the HELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES (SFEE)

April 16th 2008

The Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies works systematically in contributing drastically to the modernization and the flawless operation of the pharmaceutical market. We believe that the effort to protect and enhance public health is of common interest to the State, the academia and pharmaceutical companies.

Being an equal interlocutor with the State, SFEE is consistent and systematic in promoting the resolution of the issues that the sector takes interest in, while at the same time promotes the achievement of substantial progress in all of the issues that regard direct access of Greek citizens to all medicinal products, the flawless operation of the pharmaceutical market and the excellent operation of the health system to the benefit of citizens.

SFEE forms its positions on a “long-term basis”, with specific proposals on the immediate problems faced as well as the long-term development of the pharmaceutical market and the enhancement of public health in our country. We promote the powerful and globally accepted principle that pharmaceutical expenditure constitutes an investment with an ethical and economical dimension. A social investment with multiple financial benefits to society. It is the above principle that we take into account in working towards safeguarding the conditions that will allow our country to gain maximal benefits from this investment.

The direct access of all citizens to all of the branded medicinal products is decisively dependent on the correct pricing policy and is secured over time by the technological streamlining and IT infrastructure of the health system. The correct pricing policy influences market adequacy as well as the extent to which quality of medicines is assured. The quality of medicinal products is both secured by regular market control, as well as by the institutional provision that regards the prescription of medicines by brand name. The flawless operation of the distribution network, as well as the observation of the code of ethics, contributes decisively to the sector’s high standard reliability, in the conscience of scientists and citizens.

SFEE has set a series of distinct goals within this framework:

• We continue our efforts toward the full implementation of the pricing legislation on all medicinal products, old or new. In this way, we actively contribute to the direct access of the whole population to all medicinal products, as well as to the curtailing of rising pharmaceutical expenditure, since favorable conditions are being created for old, low – priced and well established medicines to remain in the market.
• We fully support the promotion of the technological streamlining of the health system, since we believe that this is the sole realistic and evidently effective way internationally, for controlling expenditure, abolishing waste of resourses and for saving resources. SFEE aims to advise and support the State for the design, implementation and completion of this great work.
• We undertake all the necessary initiatives, while we support all decisions that protect the quality of medicinal products. In conjunction to our actions and to regular market controls, we believe that the current pricing policy as well as prescription by brand name constitute the two primary and irreplaceable pillars for safeguarding the quality of medicinal products.
• We are working systematically for the payoff of hospital debts – in parallel to the formulation of a permanent viable and functional solution to the problem, in collaboration with the State. We continue our effort with regard to the rationalization of the height of fees to be paid to competent authorities. And of course, we are consistent, clear and with substantial proposals and views in stake with regard to resolving the rebate issue.
• At the same time, we take part in the dialogue for the reinforcement of domestic production, for the institutionalization of new business incentives, as well as for the establishment of those conditions that will promote the conduct of clinical trials in our country.
• We attribute maximal importance to the flawless operation of the distribution network. We promote and strengthen the dialogue and collaboration relations with all the interested parties and authorities in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Our multilateral actions for the restoration of the truth with regard to the real amount of public pharmaceutical expenditure (and its demarcation from medicine sales), as well as the amount of expenditure for medicines as a percentage of GDP (due to the revision of the GDP) have been successful.
• Last but not least, we attribute great importance to the adherence to the Code of Ethics, which we believe must determine our business practice and activities. We believe that the authority, the quality of social contribution, the credibility and the negotiating power of our sector depend on the adherence to the Code of Ethics.