A framework facilitating access to medicines in the European Union

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: In the European Union, access to medicines is established as a fundamental right, enforceable through the judicial system. However, equity to access has become increasingly challenging, with Member States adopting different healthcare models seeking to attain cost containment quality of care and improved patient outcomes. As a result, patients experience disparate levels of access to medicines. Ensuring enhanced, timely and equitable access is acknowledged as an important goal. This study sought to identify access enablers which may be embedded in the wider health system domain and flexibly adopted by EU Member States. AIM: To identify and evaluate factors which impact medicines’ access and propose a methodology enabling sound decision making strategies optimising timely patient access to effective medication.