TFL Vsebine / Revija Pravnik

5

Evropska komisija je že novembra 2020 predstavila evropsko strategijo za zdravila. Med njenimi cilji so: (1.) zagotoviti pravočasen in pravičen dostop do varnih, učinkovitih in cenovno dostopnih zdravil za vse paciente po vsej EU; (2.) povečati zanesljivost preskrbe in zagotavljati zdravila za paciente, ne glede na to, kje v EU živijo; in hkrati (3.) zagotavljati privlačno okolje, ki je prijazno do inovacij in konkurenčnosti, za raziskave, razvoj in proizvodnjo zdravil. Pomanjkanje zdravil postaja vse večje tveganje za javno zdravje v številnih državah EU in tudi širše. Zaradi vse očitnejših trendov pomanjkanja posameznih zdravil je treba na vseh ravneh zagotavljati ukrepe za izboljšanje preskrbe z zdravili. Poleg drugih akterjev imajo v tej verigi oskrbe pogosto neupravičeno spregledano pomembno vlogo veletrgovci. Ti so – predvsem tisti s tako imenovanim polnim obsegom delovanja – zaradi načina poslovanja lahko tudi del rešitve pri zmanjševanju tveganja nastanka motenj pri oskrbi z zdravili. Res pa je, da je s spremenjeno strukturo trga in drugimi dejavniki vse pomembnejše vprašanje nadaljnje ekonomske motivacije veletrgovcev za delo v javnem interesu, kar sodelovanje v procesu dobave zdravil nedvomno je. Glede na to, da so marže veletrgovcev v Sloveniji med najnižjimi v Evropi, avtor meni, da so spremembe na tem področju nujne. Z obstoječim načinom določanja veletrgovske marže se namreč lahko pod vprašaj postavlja tudi smotrnost izvajanja dejavnosti dobave zdravil v Sloveniji.

In November 2020, the European Commission presented its European Medicines Strategy, whose objectives include: (1) ensuring timely and equitable access for all EU patients to safe, effective and affordable medicines; (2) increasing security of supply and ensuring that medicines are available to patients wherever they live in the EU; while (3) ensuring an attractive, innovationfriendly and competitive environment for research, development and production of medicines. Medicine shortages are becoming a significant public health risk across Europe and beyond. Tackling these shortages demands measures to be taken at all levels to improve the supply of medicines. Among other actors, wholesalers constitute crucial, though overlooked, link. They—especially the ones with the so-called full-line of operations—can also be part of the solution in reducing the risk of disruptions in the supply of medicines due to their way of doing business. However, it is true that with the changed market structure and other factors, the issue of the continued economic motivation of wholesalers to work in the public interest is becoming increasingly important, which participation in the process of supplying medicines undoubtedly is. Given that wholesaler margins in Slovenia are among the lowest in Europe, the author believes that changes in this area are urgently needed. The existing method of determining the wholesale margin may also call into question the expediency of carrying out the activity of supplying medicines in Slovenia. The author sheds light on the role of wholesalers in the supply of medicines, as well as changes in this market over the last fifteen years and the method of determining the socalled wholesale margin, in Slovenia and selected European countries. The existing method of determining the wholesale margin may also call into question the feasibility of carrying out the activity of supplying medicines in Slovenia.

The Importance of Wholesalers for the Security of the Pharmaceutical Market. What Consequences can the Same and (Too) Low Wholesale Margin for 15 Years have for the Supply of Pharmaceuticals in Slovenia?