The European Medicines Agency has set out its plans to establish regular interaction with a network of European organisations representing doctors, nurses and pharmacists. In the framework for interaction between the European Medicines Agency and healthcare professionals, published today, the Agency describes its plans to:
- access the best possible independent expertise in matters related to medicines;
- contribute to more efficient and targeted communication to healthcare professionals;
- enhance the understanding of the European Union (EU) medicines regulatory network by healthcare professional organisations.
Organisations will need to fulfil a range of criteria in order to be able to be involved in the Agency's activities. These include being representative of healthcare professionals across the EU or European Economic Area (EEA), a specific interest in medicines, and transparency over sources of funding.
The Agency has been interacting with healthcare professionals since it was founded in 1995, but the new framework for interaction aims to make this relationship more structured and complete. As part of its implementation, the Agency will transform its Healthcare Professionals' Working Group (HCPWG), which has been meeting since 2006, into a working party with links to all scientific committees dealing with human medicines.
The framework of interaction and criteria to be fulfilled by healthcare professionals' organisations were endorsed by the Agency's Management Board on 15 December 2011.