The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps)a key body in the safety and control of drugs and health products in Spain, is going through a internal crisisto unprecedented. The lack of support from the ministries of Health and Public Function has pushed an institution considered a benchmark in Europe to the limit.
The deterioration of the organization is reflected in the loss of 10% of its staff between 2024 and November 2025, the closure of laboratories due to lack of personnel and a deep unrest among its professionals. The Independent Trade Union Center and Civil Servants (CSIF), the majority union in the General State Administration (AGE), has called a concentration for this Thursday, November 13 in front of the Agency’s headquarters for denounce the situation of abandonment and demand urgent measures. “We are facing an unprecedented flight of talent, caused by the lack of recognition, human and financial resources, and professional development opportunities”the organization tells this newspaper.
According to data provided by CSIF exclusively to LA RAZÓN, only 35% of A1 level positions (those with the highest technical qualifications) They receive a salary level above the minimum (level 24), compared to 87% in the AGE as a whole and 73% in the Ministry of Health itself.
In practice, Aemps employees They earn on average about 300 euros less than other officials with the same level within the department itself.
This remuneration disadvantage has become a determining factor for workers look for other destinations where their training and responsibility are recognized. The loss of qualified personnel has even forced the Raw Materials laboratory to close and the Pharmaceutical Technology and Chemical Analysis laboratories to merge, which has made it difficult to maintain accreditations issued by the National Accreditation Entity (ENAC).
More work, less resources
The Agency staff -about 600 people- remains practically frozen for years, while the volume of work continues to grow.
Authorized clinical trials have increased by more than 10%, as have regulatory burdens derived from the pandemic, actions to ensure the supply of medicines and European surveillance.
It is worth remembering that Spain is the leader in Europe in clinical trials and the third world power after China and the United States. Thanks to the early application of European regulations, the opening time for this type of research is two months faster in our country than in the rest of the European Union (206 days compared to 277), as highlighted last week by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM).
And there is more. Spain is leader in cancer drug researchwith 350 trials in oncology, and also in advanced therapy medications. On the other hand, 22% of clinical trials focus on rare diseases, which benefits patients with pathologies that are often neglected.
Well then, The response of the ministries of Mónica García and Oscar López to this professionalism is none other than neglect and abandonment.
“The problem is not the professionalism of the employees, but the lack of positions with adequate levels and remuneration,” emphasizes Pilar Navarro, representative of the CSIF union in the Aemps. “The agency “It should be a priority body within the Ministry of Health and the General Administration of the State”he adds.
The Agency’s own management has recognized the seriousness of the problem and has requested the Ministry of Public Service to adapt 200 jobs to the current needs of the agency. The proposal, however, is still pending approval by the department headed by Óscar López. Meanwhile, workers are forced to take on endless days, with unrecognized and unpaid overtime.
It should be noted that the Aemps, dependent on the Ministry of Health, is the authority responsible for guaranteeing the quality, safety and effectiveness of medicines, health products, cosmetics and other items that directly affect the health of the population and the environment. It also collaborates with the European Medicines Agency, of which Spain has been a prominent partner for years.
CSIF warns that, if the situation is not corrected, the loss of talent and prestige could put at risk the quality of public service that has characterized the Agency since its creation. “Health and Public Service must react before the deterioration is irreversible”warn from the union.
20 million a year for the State coffers
This situation is even less understood if we take into account that Aemps generates income every year. Its surplus was greater than 80 million euros in both 2022 and 2023 (latest figures available) and, 20 million of them go directly to the Treasury coffers. “We know that civil servants’ salaries are not paid from these profits, but we understand that this surplus should be reflected at least in non-remunerative improvements that make jobs more attractive,” says Navarro.
The rally will take place this Thursday, November 13, between 12 and 1 p.m. near the organization’s headquarters (Calle Campezo, 1, Madrid).
Mónica García’s hypocrisy with the Agency
The admiration that Minister of Health shown in its public statements about the work and role of the Aemps contrasts radically with the situation of abandonment that its workers denounce. While García describes it as a “strategic scientific-technical organization” that provides “confidence in the use of drugs” and claims its “key role in the medicine chain,” The officials who work in their department earn on average 300 euros more than those at the same level in the Agency. In addition, the Public Service has prioritized the adaptation of 20 jobs in Health compared to the request of 200 requested by the Aemps. It should be noted that the 70% of the Agency’s staff have less than 5 years of seniority and 25% are external or interns.
In a context of demonstrations and strikes by all of the country’s health professions, The complaints from the Aemps workers are further evidence of the minister’s disconnection from the reality experienced by public health workers, which she claims to defend so much.