Madrid, March 8th 2016.- Working together in fostering the responsible use of medicines and the transparency of relations between the patients’ collective and the pharmaceutical sector are two of the main objectives of the collaboration agreement signed by the Patients’ Organizations Platform and Farmaindustria. One of the foundations of the agreement will be the compliance and dissemination of the Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry and, more specifically, the regulation of the relations with patients’ organizations.

As stated in the agreement, Farmaindustria welcomes the patients’ organizations initiatives in Spain (fostered by the 26 member of the Platform), as well as the representative role of patients’ organizations which is carried out in a democratic and independent manner.

Educating and empowering patients

Specifically, both entities agree to collaborate to promote the education of patients in fields which relate to their health, such as the responsible use of medicines and therapeutic adherence, patient safety, access to information and participation in clinical trials.

Likewise, they commit to foster activities which favor empowering patients and reinforce the associative movement in areas such as the appropriate comprehension of information regarding medicines.

According to Tomás Castillo, President of the Patients’ Organizations Platform, this agreement “marks an important step forward for patients, specially taking into account the future landscape towards which we are walking, in which an educated patient will be responsible for his own health and treatment”: Furthermore, Castillo stresses that “the foundations on which this agreement is based are transparency and independence” between the Platform and Farmaindustria.

Antoni Esteve, President of Farmaindustria added that  “This agreement constitutes an example of how the pharmaceutical industry has decided to reinforce and make transparent its relations with patients and their representatives with the objective of, getting to know patients in more depth and their needs, thus being able to respond to them better and, on the other hand, support them so that their voice is growing stronger and heard by pharmaceutical companies, professionals and managers, hence contributing to fostering the Spanish healthcare system”.

The agreement will be extended automatically on an annual basis, unless any of the parties renounces expressively. The parties will also monitor that all activities developed under the umbrella of the agreement are strictly observing the Code of Practice for the Pharmaceutical Industry.