European Heads of Medicines Agencies discuss the availability of medicines in Riga

European Heads of Medicines Agencies discuss the availability of medicines in Riga

The European Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) meeting took place in Riga from February 3^rd till February 5^th, 2015, as part of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was attended by 80 participants from European medicines agencies, the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Several strategically important issues were on the meeting agenda such as ensuring the availability of medicines in Europe, the shortages of medicines, news in the pharmacovigilance (medicines safety monitoring) in Europe and the development of a united EMA and HMA strategy for the next five years.

Inguna Adovica, Director of the State Agency of Medicines: “Practically this means that the cooperation of European medicines agencies ensures that people in all member states receive medicines that are compliant with the unified European Union standards, as well as with the requirements for effectiveness, quality and safety. We operate by participating in unified procedures and in the quality system and we use common databases and work-sharing principles. The regulation of medicines in Europe is constantly being improved due to medicines being a high risk product.”

During the meeting a project for a new regulation in the field of veterinary medicines was discussed. It entails improvements in the evaluation, marketing authorisation, distribution of medicines and in their conditions for use. Also the implications of the regulation project on the safety and quality of medicines was assessed during the meeting. This regulation has several objectives: to increase the availability of veterinary medicines, to decrease the administrative burden, to promote competitive capacity and innovation, to improve the functionality of the EU market and to protect the public health from antimicrobial resistance.

Gundega Micule, Director of the Assessment and Registration Department of the Food and Veterinary Service: "The regulation entails a closer collaboration between EU member states, thus, both facilitating the medicines marketing authorisation process and increasing the availability of medicines, also entailing the establishment of a common database where information is available regarding all the veterinary medicines authorised in the EU."

A meeting with collaboration partners also took place as part of the HMA meeting, including medicines manufacturers, veterinarians and distributors of medicines: members of the Association of European Manufacturers of Veterinary Medicines, European Group for Generic Veterinary Products, Federation of Veterinarians in Europe, European Manufacturers of Veterinary Diagnostics and European Feed Manufacturers' Federation. Latvia was represented by organisations involved in the field of veterinary medicines, including Latvian Association of Veterinarians, Latvian Equine Veterinary Association, Association of Wholesalers of Veterinary Drugs in Latvia, Latvian Association of Manufacturers and Retailers of Animal Feed, Association of Veterinary Pharmacy and "BIOR" Scientific Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment and Council working group leaders from the Ministry of Agriculture.

A project for the regulation in the field of medicated animal feed was also discussed at the European HMA meeting.

The meeting taking place in Riga was the 79^th European Heads of Medicines Agencies Meeting, meaning that for almost 20 years the European Heads of Medicines Agencies have been operating in this format that has promoted the establishment of a unified regulation in the marketing authorisation of medicines throughout Europe.