10 years of the Healthcare Professionals' Working Party
HumanCorporateMedicines
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Healthcare Professionals' Working Party (HCPWP).
EMA is proud of the work of the HCPWP and took stock of its past achievements and future plans at it's June 2023 meeting.
EMA first set up an informal group of healthcare professional organisations in 2006. EMA's Management Board adopted a formal framework for interaction with healthcare professionals and their organisations in 2011, which led to the group operating as an official EMA working party since June 2013.
The working party helps EMA understand real-world needs and challenges with the use of medicines and the impact of regulatory decisions on clinical practice.
It often holds its meetings jointly with EMA's Patients' and Consumers' Working Party (PCWP) to promote multi-stakeholder dialogue further.
The Healthcare Professionals Working Party with past and current co-chairs
Past, present and future
The June 2023 HCPWP meeting opened with remarks by EMA's Executive Director, Emer Cooke, who highlighted the uniqueness of the working party, and its counterpart for patients and consumers, in providing a platform for dialogue and sharing of experience and good practices. This ensures the views of those EMA works for are included in its work.
For more information, see Emer Cooke's LinkedIn post.
Isabelle Moulon, the working party's first EMA co-chair (2013-17), reflected on laying the foundations for healthcare professional engagement at EMA, followed by perspectives from former healthcare professional co-chairs and members.
Dr Anthony Humphreys, Head of EMA's Regulatory Science and innovation Task Force, gave a Presentation - Where is science, technology and medicines regulation heading to? (A. Humphreys, EMA).
A further presentation highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement in supporting the European medicines agencies network strategy.
The group reviewed results from a recent perception survey, followed by a reflection on reviewing EMA's framework of engagement with healthcare professionals and their organisations. The meeting concluded with an informal celebration.
From left: Ulrich Jaeger (HCP co-chair 2019-22), Isabelle Moulon (EMA co-chair 2013-17), Emer Cooke EMA Executive Director, Juan Garcia Burgos (EMA co-chair 2018-), Conzalo Calvo Rojas (HCP co-chair 2013-19), Rosa Giuliani (HCP co-chair 2022-)