Cseke Attila calls for audit of the Medicines Agency and Oncology sector due to treatment shortages crisis

The interim Minister of Health, Cseke Attila, has called for urgent checks across Romania's entire drug stock monitoring system. The measure comes against the backdrop of repeated supply crises and aims to identify problems early, before patients are left without necessary treatments.

The ordered audit covers the internal structures of the Ministry of Health, public hospitals, and the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices of Romania (ANMDMR). Special attention will be given to the National Oncology Programme, a field that has frequently faced disruptions in medicine supply.

Cseke Attila stated: "It is unacceptable that Romania still lacks a digital system that would allow us to track medicine traceability and know, in real time, when a stock reaches a critical level. We cannot wait for a medicine to disappear from the market and only then look for solutions. We need to see early on where problems are emerging and intervene before the patient is affected."

An early warning digital system for critical stocks

In addition to the audit, ANMDMR must present a detailed report on the current state of the pharmaceutical market, including technical proposals for a rapid alert IT platform. This platform would automatically send signals whenever the national reserve of a medicine falls below a certain safety threshold.

The interim Minister stressed the need for accurate, real-time data in order to eliminate the administrative delays that have, until now, led to acute medicine shortages in pharmacies and hospitals.

Changes to the Special Needs Authorisation threshold

Another planned change concerns the ministerial order governing the Special Needs Authorisation (ANS). Currently, the import or re-authorisation procedure through ANS can only be triggered once a medicine's stock reaches 10%.

According to the Ministry of Health, raising this percentage threshold is under consideration, so that the state can intervene earlier. By amending the legislation, extraordinary procurement could be initiated well before warehouse stocks are entirely depleted.