Serbia faces significant gap in access to innovative medicines

A study by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) reveals that patients in Serbia have access to less than 10% of innovative medicines registered in the European Union over the last four years. This places the country at the bottom of the European scale regarding medical innovation availability.

Currently, 42 medicines covering 82 indications—including oncology, hematology, cardiology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, and kidney disease—are awaiting inclusion on the official drug list. It is estimated that approximately 200,000 patients in Serbia are waiting for modern therapies. In comparison, Bulgaria provides access to 90% of such drugs, Croatia to 73%, and Romania to 70%.

Serbia's investment in medicines per capita is reportedly half that of Croatia. Experts note that the lack of access to targeted and biological therapies increases long-term costs related to hospitalizations, disability, and sick leave.