EGA Press Release

Tuesday, 01 July 2003

Portuguese Ministry of Health and Medicines Agency (INFARMED) win EGA Award for their Consumer Information Campaign on Generic Medicines

Portuguese Minster of Health, Luis Filipe Pereira, today received, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and INFARMED, the European Generic medicines Association’s award for activities supporting and promoting affordable generic medicines in Europe.

The EGA award was granted to the Portuguese Ministry of Health and INFARMED in recognition of the country’s campaign to inform Portuguese patients and healthcare professionals about the quality and availability of generic medicines. By granting the award the EGA particularly wants to highlight INFARMED’s initiative to be the first medicines agency in the European Union to have a Web page dedicated to information on generic medicines.

“We would encourage all medicines agencies in the EU-25 to have clear and independent information on generic medicines accessible to all citizens on the Internet. Lack of independent information on generic medicines for patients and healthcare professionals is still one of the main barriers to increasing access to affordable generic medicines. Granting the EGA Award to the Portuguese Ministry of Health and INFARMED is recognition of their efforts in this area. Portugal now joins other EU Member States, such as France and Italy, which have recently carried out active patient information campaigns on generic medicines,” states Rory O’Riordan, President of the EGA.

Today, Mr. O’Riordan, handed the award to Minister Pereria at a ceremony also attended by the President of INFARMED. This event took place at the opening ceremony of the international conference on generic medicines being hosted today and tomorrow in Cascais Portugal by the International Generic Pharmaceutical Alliance, of which the EGA is a founding member.

Former winners of the EGA Award include Mr. Czeslaw Sobierajski, Member of the Polish Parliament, for his personal contribution in introducing the right of advanced generic experimentation and registration (“Bolar” provision) into Polish legislation, Dr. Juhana Idanpäan-Heikkila on behalf of the WHO for activities promoting international standards on bioequivalence, and the Utrecht based Dutch Association for the Efficient Use of Medicines for their active support for generic prescribing in the Netherlands.

The 2003 award, which is sponsored by TEVA Europe, is presented as a sterling silver vase 30cm in height. The award was designed by Dutch designer Gabri Schumacher.

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