How serious we have a problem is testified by hard data – only less than a quarter of drugs – 74 out of 301, which were on the domestic list of critical drugs is produced in Poland. In the case of the EU list it is even worse – we produce only 32 specifics on the spot of 270 indicated in the EU as critical. Why? The answer is simple – it does not pay, cheaper to bring them from Asia, where producers do not have to meet the strict standards and where labor costs are much lower than in Europe.
The government sees the problem and admits that we are in danger, because without drug safety it is difficult to talk about a sovereign state. – Drug safety determines the country's resistance to threats and crises, such as pandemic, terrorist, hybrid or armed aggression – therefore in the context of the production of drugs in Poland should be treated equally with military, cybernetic and energy safety, because it guarantees the sovereignty of our country – said Marek Kos, vice -minister of health parliamentarians. – Bearing in mind that a large part of the raw materials and active substances needed to produce medicines comes from factories located on the territories of third countries, based on drug safety on global supply chains is dangerous and can lead to drug deficiencies – he admitted.
Why, then, we do not spend the appropriate amounts for this purpose, we even gave up the funding of the pharmaceutical industry with the amount of EUR 139.5 million from KPO, which were to be allocated to support the production of critical substances? Officially, the decision was dictated by the position of the industry, which raised the problem of too short terms for project settlement and dissatisfaction with the form of assistance indicated in the KPO, i.e. loans instead of grants. The truth is, however, that the quilt has always been too short, and the money is needed for more media goals.
The deputy minister emphasized, however, that the ministry's head has been pursued by a drug policy, which aims to create appropriate conditions, including legislative conditions, which will encourage companies to invest in the development of the production of active substances, as well as drugs ready in our country. – We talk with other departments, subordinate units and institutions to develop solutions that will improve the production capacity in Poland – he assured. “There is no money for such help in the ministry,” he added.
According to Krzysztof Kopcia, the president of domestic drug producers, this is definitely not enough. – Business is rational and must pay off. The production of active substances needed for the production of drugs is almost exclusively in Asia, because it is much cheaper – he replies. – Without equalizing opportunities by financial support, nothing will change in this matter – he adds.
And now – as he points out – As for our self -sufficiency in the production of critical drugs, the situation is dramaticalthough we have modern companies in Poland producing both drugs and their components, as well as biological drugs, i.e. the potential to obtain drug immunity and produce in consultation with other EU countries – as national industry – we have.
– Since we consider semiconductors and other raw materials as critical and we are ready to finance their production from public funds, the more deserves drugs saving Europeans – believes Adam Jarubas, chairman of the European Parliament Health Committee. – Therefore, the act of critical drugs should include a special fund for relocating their production to Europe, and in Poland, EU funds available currently should also be used to support investment in the production of critical drugs – he adds.
Despite the lack of financial support, domestic producers invest in the production of active substances – API in Poland, they also develop laboratory activities – at the end of 2024 Adamed opened R&D laboratories to develop inhaled drugs and microbiology laboratories. The extension of the list of reimbursed drugs could also help, but there are always buoys about it, in which western companies can usually offer better prices for their specifics.
– It happens that the Ministry of Health addresses domestic producers asking whether they would start producing a drug that is missing on the market – explains Barbara Misiewicz Jagielak, director of external relations in Polpharma. – And companies make such decisions. But, investing in a new production line, we must be sure that the production will be profitable and that after a week the payer will not thank for the goods, because the Asian manufacturer will appear offering a lower price – he adds. Domestic manufacturers hope that the situation will change when, among others, in the EU act of critical drugs there will be a provision that the price cannot be the only criterion for choosing a supplier. The location of production, and thus the certainty of supplies is to be important.
And this one is necessary, if only due to the fact that in terms of the size of drug consumption we are a large, fifth market in Europe. However, the combination of the value of pharmaceutical production in Poland with the value of the domestic market places us at the gray end among EU countries in terms of self -sufficiency. The value of domestic production is only 32 percent. national demand. Only a few countries of our region have a lower relationship. The president of domestic drug manufacturers reminds that in 2015 the ratio of the value of native production to the domestic market value exceeded 50 percent. Today, of 3846 drugs on the reimbursement list, only 514 is produced in Poland, but only 34 pharmaceutical products are fully produced in the country, that is, the active substance and the finished product. Of the 100 most important pediatric drugs, none is produced in Poland.
