The Council of Europe has been long concerned with the supply conditions for medicines for human use and the harmonisation of national legislation in this field.
The classification status of medicines authorised in Europe remains a competency of the member states. The classification status of medicines has implications on patient safety, the accessibility of medicines and management of health care expenditure. There is a growing trend towards classifying medicines as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.
In continuing with the programme of activities carried out under the aegis of the former Partial Agreement in the Social and Public Health field, the Committee of Experts on the classification of medicines as regards their supply (CD-P-PH/PHO) was entrusted with reviewing classification practice at the national level. For more information about this Committee of Experts, the CD-P-PH/PHO, click HERE.
In the absence of harmonised legislation, the CD-P-PH/PHO has given priority to:
setting standards for classifying medicines;
revising annually the appendices of Committee of Ministers' Resolution ResAP (2007)1 on the classification of medicines as regards their supply; and
maintaining the database, MELCLASS, hosted by the EDQM.
Revisions of the appendices of Resolution ResAP(2007)1 on the classification of medicines as regards their supply
Maintenance and regular updates of the database, MELCLASS
Surveys
More information on the programme results.
If you wish to know the prescription status of a medicine, you can do so via the MELCLASS database. Click on the button below.
If you require a hardcopy of the recent annual revision of the appendices to the Committee of Ministers' Resolution ResAp (2007)1 on the classification of medicines as regards their supply (i.e the recent recommendation for the classification of medicines), contact us via the HelpDesk.
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Workshop entitled "Good practices for the classification of medicines as regards their supply, which protect public health and promote the accessibility of medicines in Europe", 8-9 November 2011, Strasbourg, France.
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Committee of Ministers' Resolution ResAP(2007)1 on the Classification of Medicines as Regards their Supply (superseding Resolution ResAP(2000)1 on the classification of medicines which are obtainable only on medical prescription) and Appendices (2010 Edition) (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 April 2007 at the 993rd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies).
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