APO Summer School 2023
The last Tuesday of August 29th was devoted to the eighth annual APO Summer School VIII. patient conference. Representatives of patient organisations, the government and the healthcare sector, the pharmaceutical industry and the media gathered in the fully packed Multifunctional Hall of Prague's Mánes Gallery to discuss possible changes to the Act on Advertising Regulation. The last major amendment affecting the regulation of pharmaceutical advertising is about twenty years old and the professional public is calling for its update. The conference was attended by 120 guests, including more than 70 from patient organisations.
In the morning, the participants listened to lectures by the Chief Director for Legislation and Law at the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, the Director of the State Institute for Drug Control, the Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the Roska Union, the Vice-Chairman of the Czech Association for Rare Diseases and the opinion of a doctor from Motol University Hospital and a representative of the Bar Association. After a fruitful final discussion lasting almost an hour, to which the speakers and the audience actively contributed, everyone met for an informal afternoon networking.
The experts present agreed that the Act on Advertising Regulation for medicines and medical devices needs to be adapted to today’s needs. At present, everyone can find any information on the Internet and hence the strict regulation of advertising in the health care system does not fulfil its function, according to the experts present. Chronic patients, in particular, may have a problem in accessing information on new medicines and treatments. However, even lawyers specialising in health law present at the conference, disagreed on the interpretation of the law and specific changes.
Photographs from the left:
No. 1 – David Kolář, Executive Director AIFP
No. 2 - Radek Policar, Senior Director for Legislation and Legal Affairs, Ministry of Health Czech Republic
No. 3 – Irena Storová, Director state Institute for Drug Control
No. 4 – Igor Pieš, Partner, Katner & Pieš, law firm
No. 5 Jiřina Landová, Chairwoman of the Excutive Board, Unie Roska, patient organization
No. 6 René Břečťan, Vice-Chairman, Czech Association for Rare Diseases and Vice-Chairman, Parent Project Czech Republic
No. 7 – Doc. Jana Haberlová, doctor, specialist in rare diseases, Faculty Hospital Motol
No. 8 - Discussion panel
No. 9 – Networking
No. 10 - Networking
No. 11 – Networking
No. 12 - Networking
