Advancing healthcare policy

Working together with other organisations, Prescrire‘s policy advocacy is a source of constructive proposals, counterbalancing the influence of purely commercial interests.

Prescrire Actions presented by theme

• Clinical trials and Europe
  The central issues in the debate surrounding the 2014 European Clinical Trials Regulation: protecting participants, and an international campaign for clinical data transparency.
• Transparent, independent health authorities
  To act first and foremost in the interests of citizens, drug regulatory agencies must develop independent decision-making processes and a culture of transparency towards data.
• Pharmacovigilance
  Public health disasters are a constant reminder of the need for independent and proactive pharmacovigilance. Yet under the recent reorganisation of European pharmacovigilance, this crucial public health mission is increasingly outsourced to drug companies.
• Medical devices and Europe
  The overhaul of the European legislative framework for medical devices offers an opportunity to improve patient safety, notably by requiring that high-risk medical devices undergo clinical evaluation before they can be placed on the market.
• Drug packaging and patient safety
  A drug’s packaging is an important component of its harm-benefit balance. Quality packaging encourages proper use of medicines, and allows many errors to be avoided.
• The INN, a drug’s real name
  INNThe readily intelligible language of the International Nonproprietary Name (INN) makes for clear thinking, protects patient safety and encourages rational use of medicines, free from influence.
• Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) disguised as patient “information” [2007-2012]
  To ensure that patients’ rights are respected: yes to reliable independent information, no to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) masquerading as “information”, “compliance support” or other types of “health education” programmes.
• The Medicines in Europe Forum: actions by the network
  The European legislative framework impacts the level of guarantees afforded to citizens of the European Union in terms of the quality and safety of their healthcare. It is certainly too sensitive a matter to give free rein to vested interests.

Chronological recap of Prescrire actions

• 2017 Recap
• 2016 Recap
• 2015 Recap
• 2014 Recap
• 2013 Recap
• 2012 Recap
• 2011 Recap
• 2008-2010 Recap
• 2005-2007 Recap
• The 2002-2004 campaign