Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/869387
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017 Opinion 24 THE Chamber of Pharmacists has expressed "serious concerns" over a po- tential move to integrate Malta's Medi- cines Authority into another body, the Malta Standards Authority (MSA) – as part of a governmental effort to achieve a more efficient bureaucratic set-up. The Medicines Authority, one of a list of regulators which sprung out of EU legislation, is the first to face incorporation into another authority. Critics claim its autonomy as the official medicines watchdog could be compromised because part of the Bill enables the Prime Minister to des- ignate any authority to carry out the functions of the medicines author- ity, as part of government's effort to rationalise the activities of authorities involved in the field of free movement of goods under the umbrella of the MSA. The president of the Chamber of Pharmacists, Mary Anne Sant Fourni- er, has described the proposal as a "sword of Damocles hanging on the pharmacy profession and the whole pharmaceutical sector". "It introduces undesirable uncer- tainty in the highly specialised and socially essential regulation of the area of human medicines, together with its economic connotations, because of the export needs of the local pharma- ceutical manufacturing sector," Sant Fournier told MaltaToday. Instead she called for a strengthen- ing of the Authority's autonomy and independence and for the introduc- tion of more clear structures to ensure transparency and accountability with a more direct involvement of stake- holders. "Although one must do justice with the present CEO who is a profes- sional who believes in dialogue when and wherever this is possible. This must be also said of her professional pharmacist staff," Sant Fournier said. Concerns The apprehension over the proposal concerns both consumer safety and is- sues of credibility for Malta's pharma- ceutical industry. Critics include the Federation of Industry (FOI), which represents phar- maceutical companies whose products are licensed by the Medicines Author- ity. Both the Chamber of Pharmacists and the FOI sit on the MSA's gov- erning council, but the presence of various business organisations which represent other stakeholders such as medicines wholesalers on the council has prompted fears that the Medicines Authority's autonomy could be com- promised. While Sant Fournier said the MSA directorates' independence is guaran- teed by robust legislation and its coun- cil, she added that this was not enough to ensure the integrity of the Medi- cines Authority if it is transformed into one of the MSA's directorates. "The (council) consists of govern- ment and stakeholders' representation including this Chamber. This may be considered by some as an added guar- antee to the functioning with regard to accountability and transparency, of a hypothetical MSA directorate of medi- cines. But in the Chamber's opinion this is a shortsighted view." The Chamber is challenging the no- tion of treating medicines as ordinary items of commerce. "The Medicines Authority is not only concerned with the registration of medicines, which is a significant feat in itself requiring by its very nature full autonomy – financial, adminis- trative and professional. Indeed, the Medicines Authority regulates the activities of the whole pharmaceutical sector and pharmacy profession." She said that Malta's medicines watchdog is responsible to ensure the highest possible standards for the medicines used by patients, by moni- toring their manufacture, wholesale distribution and dispensation by phar- macists. It also restricts advertising and marketing practices, and ensures good practice standards across the en- tire board, including the pharmaceuti - cal industry itself. But at the heart of the Chamber's concerns is the question of consumer safety. "We are talking here of medicines and patients. The implementation of the EU directives relevant to human medicines have as an objective the as- surance of quality, efficacy and safety of medicinal products moving in the internal market "That the pharmaceutical legislation is very extensive and comprehensive is a moot point. If instead of 'rationalis- ing' and treating human medicines un- der the context of 'freedom of move- ment of goods' one uses the maxim 'medicines are not ordinary items of commerce', then considerations with a different forma mentis would not be considered out of order," Sant Fournier said. "The registration of medicines is envisaged to ensure these standards for branded and generic medicines, as also for parallel imported medicines to safeguard the health of the patient. We strongly reiterate that the autonomy of the MMA is crucial in consideration of all of the above." Pharmacists warn against 'demotion' of medicines watchdog Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. News – 29 August, 2007 Post-truth world not good for man's future The truth sets us free. So whether it's the truth about inter-personal relations in family life, or the truth about affairs in public life and the common good we have to discern the truth in a situation of relative confusion. Newspapers, their editors and their readers are all in the boil- ing pot of so many issues. Thank God for revelation, and man for responding, which is what reli- gion is after all. The difference comes about when in situations such as we experience today, it's very difficult to know the truth. So we are extremely lucky to have Christ as Our Lord, be- cause His Word helps us put our consciences in order and in His name love even those who seem to hate us, or just seem out of place, such as migrants. For it's in these circumstances that we grow through seemingly impos- sible love. For me this is quite personal, not only because of the still un- finished National Bank of Malta saga, but also because of the Sette Giugno week, close on the heels of the last election. Last year the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Anglu Farrugia dwelt on the letter by Antonio Cassar Torreggiani recounting his sad experiences at the time as a miller and ship- owner which led him to being able to make direct representa- tions in Downing Street about self-government and the begin- ning of the Malta Parliament. In my turn I was able to make representations at a seminar in the Valletta Parliament four years ago, realising there just how well the NBM issue fits into the EU banking reconstruction and resolution regulations. For indeed the euro is a currency of reconciliation, and as such promises global extension in the post truth world man finds himself sinking into. I have also had the occasion during the last Parliament to speak to two parliamentary com- mittees on life and death mat- ters, namely the part Malta is called upon to play in the ending of world hunger by the UN goal of 2030, and also the respect for life in rejecting euthanasia. The late Dom Mintoff wanted to end world hunger and built the Kortin Grain Terminal with that hope. As a miller in the 1990s I found it was a critical factor in exporting to the United Nations Refugee and Works Agency in the Middle East dur- ing the first Gulf war. Towards his last days he expected some kind of proposal from me, and I didn't know whether it was about world hunger or the bank. In either case I have incorporated my proposals in an individual petition to the European Parlia- ment and the EU Commission R&D directorate. Parliaments are important, as are political leaders, but people suffer in spite of expectations so much so that it is only the comfort of the Holy Spirit that can bring them to rest in the truth. We're a lucky people that having strayed under journalis- tic inf luence far from the truth about man's future in God's love, we can give up the personal antagonisms and in the name of Christ embrace one another and forgo the vanity of glory. This election was effectively a national discernment about ethics in financial affairs. This is equally what is involved in the intimacies of human love and in political administration. The world is totally at sea on these matters and editors are largely responsible to help man pilot a way out of the choppy seas. It's not just a matter of faith, but equally a matter of science. Europe is placing much faith in research and development, but Malta's contribution is yet to come to enhance global govern- ance through having the faith to harness digital culture to the ethical aspect not only of crea- tivity but equally of simultane- ous distribution. Peter Cassar Torreggiani Balzan Right of reply: Libyan smuggler's arrest I refer to the article 'Kingpin fuel and human smuggler with Malta links arrested by Libyans' (Malta- Today, 27 August, 2017). It is correct to state that Darren Debono was a shareholder in a company named ADJ Trading Limited (Reg. No. C 41310); both Fahmi Bin Khalif and Ibrahim Arafa Ahmed also held shares in the same company. However when Fahmi Bin Khalif was first mentioned in the press some two years ago, my client stopped all activities and all trading in the company and placed the company into liquidation. This is the rea- son that the last trading accounts refer to the year 2015. Since 2015, Darren Debono personally and/ or his companies terminated all trading, business and/or com- mercial relationships with Mr Bin Khalif. Some two months ago, the company liquidator completed and filed the liquidation ac- counts with the Malta Financial Services Authority, and saving for any third party making a claim against the company before the Maltese Civil Court, the company will be struck off the Register of Companies of the Malta Finan- cial Services Authority in the first days of September 2017. These facts can be confirmed with the MFSA. It is interesting to note that in a report dated 1" June 2017 (Ref: 5/2017/466) by a 'Panel of Experts on Libya' appointed by the Secu- rity Council of the United Na- tions, no mention is made of any vessel or person directly or indi- rectly connected to ADJ Trading Limited and/or Mr Debono. J. Zammit Maempel Valletta