Patients in Europe are waiting longer to access medicines than patients in the US, a new report warns. 

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA)’s report shows 49% of FDA-approved medicines are not available in Europe, up from 46% in 2019. 

Data also indicates 17% of medicines are only available in Europe under restricted conditions, while the share of medicines fully available on public reimbursement lists has declined substantially to 28%. 

The report also highlights the inequality of access across European nations. The median time to availability is 532 days and, while patients in Germany face an average wait of 56 days to access medicines, this climbs to 1,201 days in Romania. 

The industry claims these barriers could be addressed through collaborative work between Member States, the European Commission, and all relevant stakeholders on proposals to improve availability and reduce delays.  

The EFPIA’s report suggests access and availability to patients in Europe could be improved by streamlining processes to speed up access and increasing EU spending on new medicines. 

“Europe has had medicines access problems for 25 years, and global pricing reforms are set to exacerbate these issues,” said Nathalie Moll, EFPIA Director General. 

“It is unrealistic to expect greater investment into Europe and faster access to new treatments for Europeans if Member States also demand the lowest possible prices and highest government clawback rates. We need to make a choice.”