The European Commission (EC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) and European Medicines Agency have published the first version of the Union list of critical medicines.
It contains more than 200 active substances of medicines for human use considered critical for healthcare systems across the EU/EEA, for which continuity of supply is a priority and shortages should be avoided.
Inclusion does not mean the medicine is likely to experience a shortage in the future, only that the prevention of shortages is particularly important as these could cause harm to patients and challenges to health systems, said the EMA.
A medicine is considered critical if it is used in serious diseases and cannot be easily replaced by other medicines, for example, during a shortage. It is included on the list if it meets certain criteria, including being critical in more than one third of EU/EEA countries.
The compilation contains active substances covering a wide range of therapeutic areas, and includes vaccines and medicines for rare diseases, reflecting the outcome of the review of 600 active substances taken from six national lists of critical medicines.
The list will be expanded in 2024 and updated annually.
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