APO Summer School 2023

On Tuesday, August 29, belonged to the eighth annual patient conference APO Summer School.

Representatives of patient organizations, the state and healthcare sector, the pharmaceutical industry and the media gathered in the Multifunctional Hall of Prague's Mánes Gallery to discuss possible changes to the Act on the Regulation of Advertising.

The last major amendment affecting the regulation of pharmaceutical advertising is about twenty years old, and the professional public is calling for being updated.

The conference was attended by more than 120 guests, of which more than 70 from patient organizations.

In the morning session, the participants were listening to presentations from the Senior 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 Unie Roska, the vice-chairman of the Czech Association for Rare Diseases, and there was also the opinion of a doctor from the Motol General Hospital and lawyers.

After a fruitful hour-long taking final discussion, in which both the speakers and the audience were actively contributing, an informal afternoon networking continued.

All present experts agreed there is a need to adapt the law on the regulation of advertising for the field of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to the current needs. Nowadays everyone can find information on the Internet, and the strict regulation of advertising in the healthcare system does not fulfill its function, according to the present experts. Patients suffering from chronic diseases may have a problem with the information availability about new drugs and treatment methods. Even lawyers specializing in healthcare law did not agree on the interpretation of the law and specific changes at the conference.

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