Trend
The number of closed applications for parallel imports has increased by 90 % compared to 2020.
competent for all activities following approval of the first marketing authorisation for a medicine or health product
of which 3 869 were closed with impact on the marketing authorisation and the patient information leaflet
The number of closed applications for parallel imports has increased by 90 % compared to 2020.
In 2021, as in the previous year, there is a significant decrease in the compliance of meeting the statutory deadline for closing IA/IB variations of mutual recognition procedures with little or no impact on closing documents.
In total, the number of closed dossiers is also lower than the number of dossiers received. The reason is a decrease in the number of staff members. Some staff members also provided support to other departments of the FAMHP in managing the COVID-19 health crisis.
Business continuity and support to other services
Although the Marketing Authorisation Division (variations and renewals) was not directly involved in the management of the coronavirus crisis, our staff members supported other services within the FAMHP. For instance, we helped the Proper Use Division with the management of unavailabilities, the Medical Devices Division with the evaluation of antigen and antibody tests, and we contributed to the accounting of the strategic stock.
Our staff members have had to update their knowledge since these activities are not usually part of our range of tasks. This commitment, together with the departure of five staff members, has had a significant impact on the management of routine dossiers treated by the division, namely the variations and five-yearly renewals of marketing authorisations for medicinal products for human use and the applications, modifications and renewals of authorisations for parallel import.
To minimise the impact, we have taken several actions. For example, we have switched to a fully electronic working method for signing and sending authorisations. Because the documents no longer need to be printed, signed and sent on paper, we were able to free up time and resources for other tasks. Staff members were transferred to other teams and trained for other tasks, where the need was the greatest and within the capabilities of the existing team.
In this way, the entire team of the Marketing Authorisation Division (variations and renewals) was able to contribute to the management of the coronavirus crisis without forgetting the continuity of routine tasks. We also tried to meet the expectations of our stakeholders as best as we could considering the difficult circumstances.
In 2021, there was a significant increase in the reporting of adverse reactions to medicinal products for human use. This was due to the large number of reports of adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.
Increase of 6 % in the number of notifications of adverse reactions to medicinal products for veterinary use.
In 2021, the Vigilance Division provided important support to the preparation of new the Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products.
On 26 May 2021, the new Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices came into effect. There are new rules with regard to vigilance such as the change of the deadline to report serious incidents.
The FAMHP has noticed an increase in the number of reported incidents over the years. In 2021, we there was an increase of 36 % compared to 2020.
The number of reported safety-related corrective actions increased in 2021 to the highest level ever since the agency was founded.
new actors (manufacturers, legal representatives, distributors, importers) were registered via the online registration system in 2021
new notifications
amendments
withdrawals
new notifications
amendments
withdrawals
actors registered and approved by the FAMHP in Eudamed
Questions from patients
Additional risk minimisation activities
New files for medicinal products in the authentic source for all medicinal products authorised in Belgium with commercialisation status for each type of packaging and any non-availabilities (E+R-application)
The most common reasons are delays in production (42.90 %) and increased demand (23.72 %)
The average duration of non-availability in 2021 is 57 days
Because humans, animals and the environment are inextricably linked, various governments and institutions are working together under the motto One World, One Health. In 2021, the FAMHP actively contributed to the development of the Belgian National Action Plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance, a plan that will further be developed over the next years with all relevant government bodies and scientific institutions.
The FAMHP’s Proper Use Division also participated in actions aimed to improve the availability of essential antibiotics in Belgium and improve their rational use. For The Proper Use Division, for example, organised important discussions with the relevant pharmaceutical companies and candidate purchasers on antibiotics that were at risk of disappearing or for which unavailability was regularly reported. The discussions resulted in the return or retention of some essential antibiotics. Penicillin G was reintroduced to the market by Sandoz in 2021 and Amukin became available again in Belgium in early 2022.
The FAMHP brought together seventeen task forces to assess the critical unavailability of seven medicinal products (molecules) and develop recommendations.
In May 2021, the FAMHP launched the Stock Monitoring Tool to prevent as much as possible the unavailability of medicinal products used to treat COVID-19.
Volg ons