This past year showed that the patient perspective was needed more than ever, particularly in the hastening of medicines and medical devices innovation. EFA participated in the European Commission’s discussions on a Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe to address key aspects of access to medicines, enable digital health and innovation in general, and draw lessons from the COVID-19 experience to build preparedness ahead of future pandemics.
EFA provided the patient perspective on medicine shortages, the development and authorisation of innovative medicines to treat and prevent allergy, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the rise of digital health.
The European Commission started the process to review the Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (F-Gases) Regulation to be closer aligned with EU climate objectives. Some F-Gases are a key part of asthma and COPD liquid inhalers that are mainly used as life-saving medication to avoid or stop asthma attacks and COPD exacerbations. EFA communicated our concerns on the F-Gases consultations and called for fully integrated health considerations in all future EU climate policy. While treatment choices can and should be improved to meet environmental requirements, new legislation should not compromise patients’ access to the care they need.
Alongside the review, EFA facilitated a workshop with the European Commission DG Climate Action and other stakeholders including respiratory physicians, hospital representatives, industry associations and a national environment agency to explore different stances on how to reduce F-Gas emissions with minimal impact on patients. The workshop reflected the rising awareness of the importance for health consideration in all policies as well as the strength of patient organisations in facilitating connections across industries.
As members of the European Medicines Agency Patient and Consumer Working Party (EMA PCWP), EFA participated in 3 meetings and 5 stakeholder meetings, including one on COVID-19 vaccines, to represent and bring attention to the issues faced by people with allergy and respiratory disease. Our patient experts were also involved in 1 scientific advisory procedure and the review of 6 different Package Leaflets (PL).