The area of pharmaceuticals and medical devices is another important area of European health policy. Linked to the EU's responsibility for overseeing compliance with the principles of free movement of pharmaceuticals and medical products as well as high standards of quality and safety.

Since 1985 the EU is trying to create a single European market for pharmaceuticals. The regulation on the one hand, aims at protecting human health, on the other hand, with her ​​trying to create conditions for competition in the pharmaceutical market as well as uniform standards for pharmaceutical research. The EU also oversees the safety of medicines throughout their life cycle (called pharmacovigilance).

The regulation also establishes the basic requirements for medical devices that must be complied with prior to their placing on the market. During their meeting with the awarded products the CE marking.