Spain's Minister of Health, Mónica García, has declared that 2024 has been a year of laying the foundation for rebuilding the country's essential healthcare system. Among the Ministry's most notable achievements this year are the approval of the Comprehensive Plan for the Prevention and Control of Smoking (PIT) 2024-2027 and the Primary Care Action Plan.
Tobacco Control Measures and E-Cigarette Regulations
On April 30, the Council of Ministers approved the PIT 2024-2027, which will be implemented through legislative amendments to Law 28/2005 and Royal Decree 579/2017. The Ministry has already submitted a draft amendment to Royal Decree 579/2017 for public consultation, which regulates aspects of the manufacture, presentation, and marketing of tobacco products and their derivatives. This amendment includes regulations on single-use e-cigarettes, flavorings, and aromatizers in these devices, as well as the implementation of generic packaging to reduce the attractiveness of these products and protect younger populations.
Minister García has also announced that her department is working on amending Law 28/2005 on health measures against smoking, with the aim of expanding smoke-free spaces. This measure, she asserts, is supported by the European Commission and the majority of the population, who demand healthier, tobacco-free environments.
Primary Care Action Plan and Administrative Support
Another significant achievement for the Ministry in 2024 has been the recent approval of the Primary Care and Community Action Plan 2025-2027 by the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System. This project introduces the concept of self-discharge with the goal of reducing bureaucracy and congestion in the public healthcare system.
The plan also introduces the role of health administrators, which responds to demands from autonomous communities and scientific societies. This new position aims to relieve healthcare professionals of administrative tasks, freeing up more time for patient care.
Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy and New Specialties
In recent weeks, the Council of Ministers approved the new Pharmaceutical Industry Strategy 2024-2028, which seeks to transform the current model, focused on the industry's supply capacity, into a system driven by the population's health needs as the main driver of pharmaceutical innovation and the entire drug value chain.
This strategy includes legislative reforms, such as the amendment of Royal Decree-Law 1/2015, known as the Medicines Act, and the amendment of the Royal Decree on the financing and pricing of medicines, which is already in public consultation.
The draft Medicines Act addresses measures aimed at protecting lower-income individuals and increasing the progressivity of pharmaceutical co-payments. The Ministry's objective is to redistribute the co-payment system to ensure that access to medications does not depend on the economic situation of vulnerable and multi-pathological patients.
In July, a Royal Decree was approved, creating the specialty of Emergency and Emergency Medicine. The Ministry is currently working on drafting the specialty's training program, with the goal of accrediting teaching units in 2025 and offering residency positions in 2026/27.
Objectives for 2025 and Beyond
Minister García hopes that 2025 will be the "year of legacy," in which the most important initiatives come to fruition and advances that will shape the future of healthcare in Spain are established. The Ministry expects the State Public Health Agency and the State Public Health Surveillance Network, along with the Early Warning and Rapid Response System, to reach Congress and the Senate in the coming months.
Mental health will also be a focus for the Ministry, with plans to approve a new Mental Health Action Plan in 2025 to strengthen human resources in mental health, promote the specialty of child and adolescent clinical psychology, and foster a community mental health model that offers alternatives to institutionalization.
Additionally, the Ministry aims to address waiting list issues in 2025. Minister García has announced that a White Paper on waiting lists will be developed, and a co-financing fund will be created, conditioned on the implementation of specific measures by the autonomous communities to reduce waiting lists.
As Spain's Ministry of Health continues to prioritize public health initiatives and healthcare system improvements, the vaping industry must stay informed about the evolving regulatory landscape and adapt to new measures aimed at reducing tobacco and nicotine consumption, particularly among younger populations.
