(Vilnius and Brussels – 10 July 2014): The Lithuanian Ministry of Health and EFPIA, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (their member in Lithuania - the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (IFPA), have today announced a significant new Joint Working Agreement that paves the way for protecting future health and growth in Lithuanian.

The agreement is a concrete step towards delivering the vision of health and sustainable growth set out in the Vilnius Declaration, which was signed during Lithuania's Presidency of the EU last year. It sets out a series of measure to safeguard future innovation and healthcare, including establishing a specific ‘Reimbursement Budget’ that will reflect and be proportionate to both GDP growth and increase in overall public health care spending. 

Lithuanian Minister of Health Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis stated: “We are creating a sustainable health care system that is prone to demographic and economic challenges, that promptly responds to current health threats, that incorporates newest technologies and best medical practices. The Ministry of Health and EFPIA working together means new treatment options for the patients, greater transparency for the healthcare industry and meaningful cooperation with innovative businesses.” 

Through partnering on a holistic life sciences strategy, EFPIA and the Lithuanian Ministry of Health intend to make Lithuania a more attractive location for life sciences investment, and to support a healthy population through the creation of more effective, efficient and sustainable health systems. 

EFPIA Director General Richard Bergström stated: “Our industry has entered into a number of agreements with European governments, but the Lithuanian agreement has achieved a new progressive, gold standard in collaboration for better health outcomes. It signifies a new dawn in our industry’s partnerships, as it delivers a much more comprehensive solution to meeting the health and economic needs of citizens. I urge other nations to learn from the Lithuanian approach.”

The agreement was born from a recognised need to protect patients, public health and medical progress in Lithuania.

The Joint Working Agreement, available in full via the link provided here, sets out points of action designed to:

• Increase investment in health promotion and disease prevention;
• Ensure universal access to high-quality, people-centred health services;
• Ensure that health system reforms – including workforce planning – are evidence-based and focus on cost-effectiveness, sustainability and good governance;
• Establish a three-year cycle for management of funds allocated under for reimbursement of medicines (the Reimbursement Budget). The growth of the Reimbursement Budget shall reflect and be proportionate to both GDP growth and increase in overall public health care spending.

Such collaborative efforts are integral to EFPIA’s recently launched strategy, “Health and Growth: Working together for a healthy Europe”, which advocates for an integrated life sciences sector for the EU. Cross-sectoral approaches to health policy will be essential to realising this vision, and EFPIA hopes that the agreement signed with the Lithuanian Ministry of Health will serve as a positive example of how we can expand the conversation on how to foster excellence, equity and sustainability in European healthcare systems. 

About EFPIA

EFPIA represents the pharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. Through its direct membership of 33 national associations and 40 leading pharmaceutical companies, EFPIA provides the voice of 1,900 companies committed to researching, developing and bringing new medicines to improve health and quality of life around the world. The pharmaceutical industry invests €30.6 billion on research and development per year in Europe and directly employs 690,000 people including 115,000 in R&D units in Europe.

EFPIA members are committed to delivering innovative medicines to address unmet needs of patients and reducing the burden of chronic diseases for Europe’s ageing population. EFPIA believes in close cooperation with its stakeholders to help create sustainable healthcare systems and to develop prompt responses to health threats in Europe.

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