Dutch OTC Market in 2019: VMS Delisting Accelerates Shift Towards Self-Care

The evidence underpinning the “polluter pays” principle of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive - which calls on Europe's pharmaceutical industry to cough up at least 80% of the cost of updating wastewater treatment facilities - is looking increasingly shaky, according to a new report.

Ahead of a soon to be released 10-Year Health Plan for the English NHS, an alliance including PAGB calls for self-care to be “clearly recognised and supported through concrete policies that reflect its vital role in achieving the plan’s goals.”

“It’s quite likely [consumer wearable manufacturers] are changing the sensitivity and specificity based on consumer feedback, but not for medical reasons,” said Dipak Kotecha, a University of Birmingham professor of cardiology. Often, self-reported performance evidence from manufacturers is “low quality and biased.”

At a recent plenary session the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the European Commission to “conduct a new and comprehensive assessment” of the impact of the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive on the pharmaceutical sector.