Training and resources for patients and consumers

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) provides support to patient and consumer representatives invited to participate in its activities as well as training sessions plus a collection of training videos and documents for anyone interested in learning more about EMA's activities.

The information helps interested patient and consumer representatives to understand:

• the work of EMA;
• the types of activities patients and consumers are involved in.

Training overview

EMA has published a training overview describing the activities and materials available to patients and consumers taking part in EMA activities and events. This overview takes into account feedback obtained from patient and consumer organisations:

• Training overview for patients and consumers involved in EMA activities
• Involvement of patient representatives in scientific advisory groups at EMA
• Involvement of patient representatives in scientific advice procedures at EMA

EMA has developed a series of training videos targeted at patients and consumers entitled 'EMA basics'.

Together with the videos, EMA provides the presentation slides and related documents.

'EMA Basics' videos	Related documents
The European Medicines Agency	Presentation - The European Medicines Agency
The centralised procedure	Presentation - The centralised procedure
Involvement of patients	Presentation - Involvement of patients
The Patients' and Consumers' Working Party	Presentation - The Patients' and Consumers' Working Party
EMA video for patient representatives	Involvement of patients in scientific advice procedures at EMA Involvement of patients in Scientific Advisory Group and Ad Hoc Expert meetings at EMA
Pharmacovigilance	Presentation - Pharmacovigilance
How EMA works with healthcare professionals	Presentation - How EMA works with healthcare professionals
Scientific advice: what to expect and how to prepare	Presentation - Scientific advice: what to expect and how to prepare
Declarations of interests: a practical guide	Presentation - Declarations of interests: a practical guide
How patients are involved in the review of documents	Presentation - How patients are involved in the review of documents
What is a European safety referral	Presentation - What is a European safety referral

In-house training sessions

EMA holds an annual one-day training session for patients and consumers involved in EMA activities. The session offers an overview of medicines evaluation, with specific emphasis on when and how to get involved. Using a hands-on, interactive approach, participants learn about how they can contribute to scientific advice procedures, scientific-advisory-group meetings and reviewing information for patients.

For further information on annual training sessions, see:

• 2022 training session for patients, consumers and healthcare professionals (17-18/10/2022, 20/10/2022)
• 2021 training session for patients, consumers and healthcare professionals (24/11/2021)
• 2020 training session for patients, consumers and healthcare professionals (23/10/2020)
• 2017 training session for patients, consumers and healthcare professionals (21/11/2017)
• 2016 training session for patients and consumers (29/11/2016)
• 2015 training session for patients and consumers (25/11/2015)
• 2014 training session for patients and consumers (25/11/2014)

The video recording of the 2014 annual training session is available:

• Playlist of training day presentations

For information on recent EMA workshops of particular relevance to patients and consumers, or where they have participated as speakers, see:

• Meeting of the CTTI/FDA Patient Engagement Collaborative (PEC) and EMA Patients and Consumers Working Party (PCWP)(01/07/2021)
• Workshop on the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the area of health and Secondary Use of Data for Medicines and Public Health Purposes(23/09/2020)
• Workshop on benefit-risk of medicines used during pregnancy and breastfeeding(22/09/2020)
• ICH E6(R3) good clinical practice workshop with Patients' and Consumers' (PCWP) and Healthcare Professionals' (HCPWP) Working Parties (03/06/2020)

Information session on advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) with PCWP and HCPWP on 28 June 2022

Members of EMA's eligible organisation also have training initiatives that promote a better understanding of the development and approval of medicines as well as the involvement of patients and consumers in these processes. While EMA takes care in selecting external websites, it accepts no responsibility for the content:

• The European Patients' Academy (EUPATI) is a pan-European Innovative Medicines Initiative project of 33 organisations, led by the European Patients' Forum, with partners from patient organisations, universities and not-for-profit organisations, along with a number of European pharmaceutical companies. It provides scientifically reliable, objective and comprehensive information to patients on medicines research and development.
• The Open Academy School on Medicines Research & Development helps prepare patients for advocating for medicines development, equal access to treatments across Europe and ensuring that medical information is clear, accurate and comprehensible. EURORDIS launched this training programme for patient experts in 2008.
• The European Patient Ambassador Programme (EPAP) is a self-learning programme introducing patients and carers to the essential skills and knowledge needed to interact with healthcare professionals, policy-makers, researchers and journalists. The training programme was developed by the European Lung Foundation and the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care for Leeds, York and Bradford, with the help of patients, and professionals with expertise in key areas.