The International Conference “PharmaConnect 2025” Held in Dubrovnik
22.05.2025
The Head of the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (HALMED), Prof. Siniša Tomić, PhD, participated in the international conference PharmaConnect 2025, which was held from 19 to 20 May 2025 in Dubrovnik. The conference was organised by the European Healthcare Distribution Association (GIRP), which brings together the national associations and leading pharmaceutical wholesalers from 33 EU Member States, representing over 750 distributors of medicinal products and healthcare products.
As part of the conference programme, Prof. Tomić delivered a presentation entitled "Croatian Perspective on the EU Pharmaceutical Legislation Reform", in which he presented HALMED’s views on the reform of EU pharmaceutical legislation. Prof. Tomić emphasised the importance of ensuring timely access to medicinal products, as well as the need to strengthen the role of national regulatory authorities in implementing EU initiatives. Special attention was given to the Critical Medicines Act, aimed at improving the availability of key medicinal products across the EU and enhancing supply chain resilience. Prof. Tomić highlighted HALMED’s activities focused on developing systems for early detection and mitigation of shortages, as well as HALMED’s contributions to the work of the European Medicines Regulatory Network (EMRN), thereby supporting the EU Medicines Agencies Network Strategy (EMANS).
The conference programme featured presentations and panel discussions by domestic and international experts from the European Commission, European Parliament, regulatory authorities, the pharmaceutical industry, EU associations and institutions. The discussions focused on the strategic implications of implementing the Critical Medicines Act, financial sustainability of healthcare systems, and strategies to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the supply chain in the EU.
Other key topics included the challenges of healthcare system financing in the EU, collaboration between the industry and regulatory authorities to ensure medicinal products and healthcare products availability, innovative distribution models, logistics digitalisation, and regulatory trends at both European and global levels.
By participating in this conference, HALMED continued its active contribution to the development of regulatory practices and the strengthening of international cooperation, with the aim of improving the availability and safety of medicinal products for patients in the Republic of Croatia and the European Union.
