Romanian patients are often among the last in the EU to benefit from innovative treatments.

Omissions

• The claim does not cite a specific metric (availability rate, time to access, or reimbursement delay), year, or source. The EFPIA WAIT Indicator tracks multiple dimensions and Romania's exact rank may vary between metrics — for example, it may rank slightly differently on 'rate of availability' versus 'median time to availability'.
• The most recent WAIT Indicator (2025, covering medicines authorised 2021–2024) was published in May 2026, very close to the session date of 18 May 2026. The MEP may have been relying on the 2024 edition (published April 2025, covering 2020–2023).
• The claim uses the qualifier 'often', which accurately reflects that Romania's position may fluctuate slightly between metrics and years, but it has been a persistent pattern rather than an occasional one.

Sources

• PrimaryEFPIA Patients W.A.I.T. Indicator 2025 SurveyThe report tracks availability and time-to-access for 168 innovative medicines authorised between 2021 and 2024 across 36 European countries; Romania is consistently among the lowest-ranked EU member states.
• AcademicFrontiers in Public HealthEFPIA's WAIT reports have consistently ranked Romania among the countries with the longest delays from EMA approval to patient access.
• AcademicPMC / National Library of MedicineComparative European analyses indicate that Romania records among the longest delays in access to reimbursed innovative medicines, with average waiting times substantially exceeding the EU average.
• SecondaryCalea EuropeanăRomania among EU countries providing free access to the fewest innovative medicines for patients. Data from the W.A.I.T. Study 2020.