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The article discusses the global shortages of medicines and the need for global solution of the problem. Particular focus is given to the result of the report by the hospital pharmacy group European Association of Hospital Pharmacists which showed that the shortages are a problem in hospitals in different countries in Europe. Two charts are presented which show the levels of the frequency of the shortages and the percentages of different types of medicines most commonly to be in short supply.

• Primary care plays a major role in the diagnosis of cancer and care of patients • Primary and community care are often not well integrated into cancer care • There are many opportunities for extending care at the primary level • Healthcare systems must consider new roles for primary and community professionals ECCO Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC) are checklists and explanations of organisation and actions that are necessary to give high-quality care to cancer patients. They are written by European experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care. This paper concerns the integration of primary care into care for all cancers in Europe. Primary care integration: • Primary care professionals play major roles in the diagnosis of cancer and care of cancer patients • There are many opportunities for extending care at the primary level to cope with the increasing cancer burden and its nature as a chronic disease, but there are also significant barriers to progress towards high-quality patient-centred care • To meet European aspirations for comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations must consider the requirements in this paper to include primary and community care in patient-centred pathways from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]