Italian Health Minister Orazio Schillaci Calls Drug Availability a National Security Issue

Health Minister Orazio Schillaci told the Chamber’s Question Time that the availability of medicines is a matter of national security, comparable to energy or raw materials. He noted that China and India now supply more than half of the world’s active pharmaceutical ingredients, and for some essential categories such as antibiotics the share exceeds 80%.

Schillaci outlined Italy’s response: the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) monitors shortages, can authorize extraordinary imports, limits parallel exports and proposes therapeutic alternatives. A technical table on drug unavailability coordinated by AIFA and a permanent supply table within the Ministry of Health work together to detect problems before they become emergencies. He also highlighted the EU’s Critical Medicines Act and the push for reshoring strategic production, stressing Italy’s leading role in these European efforts.