The Law on Pharmaceuticals failed to pass at yesterday’s Council of Ministers (CoM) session, despite months of work on a compromise solution. The Law is designed to create a single pharmaceutical market, thereby ensuring quality and safety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices in BiH. By doing so, it would improve public health safeguards, but also encourage competitive pricing and greater consumer choice. Therefore, yesterday’s rejection of the Law was at the expense of BiH citizens. Certain political parties have been under pressure to reject an opening of the market for months, and yesterday key ministers failed to turn up to vote, torpedoing the Law despite a majority of those Ministers present being in favour. Following yesterday’s failure of the Law on Pharmaceuticals the High Representative and EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, noted that “I am disappointed that Ministers appear to have failed yet again to put citizens rights first by obstructing this Law. Ministers are appointed to work for the good of the country and not for narrow party-political or private interests. People in BiH have the right to affordable medicines and choice in the marketplace. I will not tolerate the misuse of CoM procedures and ministerial positions to defend private lobby groups over the rights of citizens, and will hold Ministers fully responsible for their actions.” concluded the High Representative/EU Special Representative.
09/28/2007