France created the Drug Agency in 1994 and in Spain the Spanish Agency was created in 1999. In this Transparency blog, we have been drawing a series of allegedly irregular situations that apparently are not unique to the Spanish Medicines Agency but, unlike in Spain, France have decided to change.

The French digital newspaper Le Figaro titled: “The Senate wants a perfect drug agency,” that the reader will find the following link:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/sante/2011/06/28/01004-20110628ARTFIG00698-le-senat-veut-une-agence-du-medicament-irreprochable.php , published a text with the findings and reform proposals submitted by an inquiry commission of the French Senate about the French Drug Agency, among which we highlight the following proposals:

1. La première vise à bouter les laboratoires pharmaceutiques hors de l’Agence du médicament (The first is to separate the pharmaceutical companies from the Agency )

The situation is repeated in the presence of Spain’s private representatives in various committees from Veterindustria officers in the Spanish Drug Agency (Codemvet and Availability Committee as noted in our Transparency XVI May 25, 2011)

2. annoncé que médecins, fonctionnaires, enseignants et experts devront désormais remplir une déclaration d’intérêts consultable par le public. Et que, contrairement à ce qui se fait actuellement, les manquements à ces obligations seront sanctionnés. Le Sénat va plus loin. L’industrie ne doit pas interférer dans les prises de décision sanitaire. Et les déclarations de conflits d’intérêt ne sont pas suffisantes. (announced that doctors, civil servants, teachers and experts will present a complete a declaration of conflicts of interest to the public. And, contrary to what is currently happening breach of those obligations will be sanctioned. The Senate goes further. The industry should not interfere in decisions about health. And the conflict of interest statements will not be sufficient.)

There are also similarities with the Spanish situation as noted in our blog IX October 26, 2010 Transparency and Accountability X 8 November 2010 and we presented the alleged inconsistencies of the Deputy Director Margarita Arboix and Cristina Avendaño, who in full possession of his office, offered advisory services through universities to overcome the tests of the committees they presided.

3. Autre proposition, la création d’un corps d’État des experts de santé publique. Ces membres seraient rémunérés par l’Agence du médicament. La tentation de faire des «ménages» serait ainsi limitée. Les garde-fous proposés consistent en une rémunération intéressante et une limitation de la durée des mandats. (Another proposal, the creation of a group of state public health experts. These members will be paid by the Agency of the drug. The temptation to “collusion” would be limited. The safeguards proposed are a good salary and limiting terms of office).

The situation is repeated in Spain with the presence of the same representative Veterindustria in successive reviewing committees of veterinary medicines since 1999 as noted in several blogs Transparency.

4. Le projet de loi de la réforme sera présenté avant la trêve estivale en Conseil des ministres et au Parlement à l’automne(Reform Project will be presented before the summer in the Cabinet and Parliament in the autumn)

It would be good for transparency in the Spanish veterinary pharmaceutical sector that similar reforms as the 4 proposals in France, were carried out in Spain.

From Digital Veterinary it is believed that this reform should be accompanied by a official investigation, the competent body to purge the alleged responsibilities that had occurred since the founding of the Spanish agency in 1999.

Reform is fine, but reform lose credibility with impunity, amnesty may seem eagerness, and it would be unseemly for industries that have reported the facts to the Court, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor and the Court of Competition.