France's CNS calls for health care priority

France's National Health Care Conference (CNS) has issued a report in the run-up to the presidential elections later this month (Marketletters passim), which argues that health care is not being treated with the importance it deserves by politicians of all party affiliations. The group's annual commentary on the state of health care in France includes a 15-point prescription for effecting major improvements over the next five years.

Among the measures that would have an impact on drugmakers, there are several proposals concerning the reorganization of regional health care and its budgeting. The fourth proposition of 15 calls for the 100% reimbursement of all preventative care costs, especially condemning the "responsabilitization" concept of the present government. Proposition 11 demands the establishment, by the French state, of a health care professional training program that is independent of all pharmaceutical industry input, as well as a guarantee of funding from non-industry sources. The 14th proposal is that the government must carry out, by the end of 2008, an assessment of all the recently-introduced health care reforms, in order to gauge their effectiveness and future viability.

The CNS is especially opposed to the proposals made by the presidential front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy (Union for a Popular Majority, UMP), to reduce costs by encouraging self-prescribing. The group is, however, supportive of Socialist Party (PS) rival, Segolene Royal, who has proposed a "Presidential Pact" which includes measures it argues, will "benefit the health of all."