Patients are increasingly assuming roles to boost the development of medicines, ensure equal access to treatment throughout Europe and guarantee that medical information is clear, accurate and understandable. The aim of this programme was to provide researchers and patient representatives with the necessary skills.

It consisted of a preparatory online course and face-to-face training, from 11-15 June, in which a maximum of 40 participants had the opportunity to share experiences and consolidate their knowledge of the issues addressed in the preliminary course.

With the on-site course, the participants attended a series of sessions aimed at providing patients and researchers the tools necessary for enhancing their understanding and improving the medicine regulation process. One such session consisted of a presentation by Dr Marta Trapero, who discussed the “Pharmaceutical and economic criteria for access to medicines”.

The course was organised by the Eurordis Platform for Minority Diseases, with institutional support from the Spanish Ministry of Health and Social Policies, the Government of Catalonia’s Department of Health (CatSalut) and the Patient Advisory Council of Catalonia. This was the second Spanish edition of the international ExPRESS course. To date, the international edition has provided training to over 400 representatives of patients from 40 countries and with 70 pathologies.