On Friday, May 16, 2025, the meeting of the AmCham Health and Wellbeing Committee took place, focusing on one of the most pressing issues for the future of Slovenian healthcare – the accessibility of medicines. The central message of the discussion was clear: if we want an efficient, fair, and sustainable healthcare system, access to modern medicines must be treated as a strategic investment – not as a cost.

According to the EFPIA W.A.I.T. (Waiting to Access Innovative Therapies) indicator, which measures the time from EU-wide drug approval to actual patient access in individual countries, Slovenia is falling further behind the European average. While in previous years more than 60% of EU-approved medicines were available on the Slovenian market, access has significantly deteriorated, and procedures have slowed down. The average waiting time has increased from 400 to over 600 days. As a result, patients are often deprived of modern, less invasive, and more effective treatment options that could shorten recovery times and improve their quality of life.

Access to modern and effective medicines is not a privilege – it is a cornerstone of quality healthcare and an investment in the future of our society.