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OnHOME Alliance Launches to Champion Online Access to Prescription Medicines Across the EU

Brussels, 29 October 2024 – The Online Order and Home Delivery of Medicines (OnHOME) Alliance was officially launched on 29 October 2024 in Brussels. The launch event called on policymakers to take action towards enabling online access to prescription medicines for all patients across the European Union.

The OnHOME Alliance is a group of patient organisations, healthcare professionals, and digital health advocates. The Alliance promotes secure digital solutions to improve patient care and greater adherence to treatment plans. The Alliance also seeks to strengthen health system preparedness by ensuring that patients across the EU, especially those in rural areas or with limited mobility, can access essential prescription medicines online safely and conveniently.

Central to the OnHOME Alliance’s mission is a call to action for the EU and Member States to take necessary steps to expand online access to prescription medicines, particularly in light of the ongoing revision of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation. This could be achieved across the EU by amending Article 172 of the European Commission’s proposal for the Pharmaceutical Directive, which regulates the sale of medicinal products at a distance to the public. Several Member States, including Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden, have already permitted online access to prescription medicine. The Alliance is calling for all Member States to uphold the principles of necessity and proportionality when setting conditions for the distance sales of medicinal products. This will eliminate prohibitions and establish a consistent regulatory framework across the Single Market to ensure equal access to essential medications for patients across the EU.

Access to healthcare should not depend on where a patient lives or their physical ability to reach a pharmacy. The OnHOME Alliance is committed to advocating for a future where all European citizens have safe, reliable, and convenient online access to the medicines they need, no matter their location,” says Martino Canonico, Head of Brussels Office, European Association of E-Pharmacies. “We urge policymakers to amend Article 172 of the EU Pharmaceutical Directive, allowing digital healthcare solutions to benefit patients across the EU and help build a healthier, more equitable Europe.”

Digitalising the supply chain opens new opportunities for patients to access pharmacies that reliably stock the medicines they need,” says Mike Isles, Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU). “Expanding online access to medicines and advancing digital pharmacy services are essential steps toward improving medicine availability and ensuring that all Europeans can access vital healthcare services equally across every Member State.”

The launch event featured a keynote speech from MEP Vytenis Andriukaitis (S&D, LT), as well as a panel discussion with Russell Patten, Director General of Parkinson’s Europe, Robert Hejzak, Chairman of Czech National Association of Patients’ Orgnisations (NAPO), Josephine Mosset, Policy Officer of Cancer Patients Europe (CPE), and Mike Isles, Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU). The speakers outlined the Alliance’s objective of building momentum for a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to modernising European healthcare. They discussed the importance of ensuring the availability, accessibility, and affordability of medicinal products. With a focus on the ongoing revision of the Pharmaceutical Legislation, they advocated for EU-wide policy action to support patients’ freedom of choice in obtaining their prescription medicines online.

For more information about the OnHOME Alliance and its mission, please visit our website: onhomealliance.pharmacy.

About the OnHOME Alliance:

The OnHOME Alliance is a group of patient organisations and other active stakeholders in the healthcare community determined to advocate for all Member States to allow their patients the choice to obtain their prescription medicines online and get them delivered at home by registered pharmacies. Through advocacy efforts, the OnHOME Alliance aims to build momentum for a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach to modernising healthcare access across Europe.

About the Call to Action:

We call on EU policymakers to improve the availability of medicines online by encouraging Member States to take the necessary steps to allow online access to prescription medicines, leveraging the current revision of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation. Specifically, this could be achieved by amending Article 172 of the Commission proposal for the Pharmaceutical Directive, which will regulate the sale of medicinal products at a distance to the public. This would remove outright prohibitions that are not evidence based and do not respond to the principles of necessity and proportionality. Such an amendment will encourage Member States to permit online availability of prescription medicines from authorised pharmacies, in accordance with Single Market rules for the benefit of all European patients and citizens.

About the EAEP

The European Association of E-Pharmacies (EAEP) represents the voice of e-pharmacies on the European continent. The EAEP promotes its interests mainly with political stakeholders, regional and business actors, with the ultimate aim to improve the health of Europe’s citizens and strengthen the European healthcare system. E-pharmacies have digitalised the classical pharmacy, and therefore act at the crossroads of digitalisation, healthcare, e-commerce and sustainability. As pioneers in digital solutions, the members of the EAEP are dedicated to innovating secure processes for managing health data, delivering medicinal products and facilitating digital healthcare services. Compliant with both national and EU regulations, all members are committed to advancing the quality, safety and efficiency of healthcare for all Europeans.

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