Changes to Poland's pharma laws slammed

A new report by global civic watchdog Transparency International (TI) has criticized planned changes to the pharmaceutical laws in Poland because they will benefit companies rather than consumers. Central to the Polish Parliament's proposed amendments is an initiative to ban advertising by chemists, and TI says that this will both limit customer choice and allow market leaders to consolidate their positions unfairly. "This is a recipe that will foster rather than discourage corruption," said TI, noting that, "instead of protecting patients, it [the law after being changed] will work to their disadvantage."

However, Polish Members of Parliament behind these changes said that they were in keeping with the principle of openness. "We did work transparently," said Malgorzata Stryjska, an MP from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. "We consulted people in a proper manner. We sent out 120 invitations to all groups interested in this issue," she added.

But other interested parties in Poland believe the measure to be detrimental. "This ban limits the patient's right to be informed," said Stanislaw Mackowiak, chief executive of the Federation of Polish Patients, pointing out that "the obligation that drugstores and wholesalers use one margin will result in price increases because, when the number of drugstores is limited, access to medicines will be more limited."