ABSTRACT
Medicines play a vital role in the delivery of quality health care. There appears to be a positive relationship between pharmaceutical expenditure per capita and GDP per capita. Presently, major and rapid developments are occurring within the field of medicines. While on one hand the development of new drugs offers new prospects for people confronted with otherwise untreatable diseases, on the other hand we are confronted with a situation where the very high costs of new medicines are hindering access to such innovations. The pharmaceutical industry is a complex and highly sensitive sector. It directly employs 707,000 people across Europe and generates three to four times more employment indirectly. Notwithstanding the various specificities characterising the supply side, the demand side is also characterised by unique features. Joint procurement for pharmaceuticals can help offset such imbalances. Indeed, while there are apparent opportunities one should not lose sight of potential barriers, especially when it comes to cross-border collaboration between countries or regions.
