WONCA Europe continues to play a pivotal role in shaping EU medicines policy, recently participating in the joint meeting of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Patients’ and Consumers’ Working Party (PCWP) and the Healthcare Professionals’ Working Party (HCPWP) on 3–4 February 2026.
Representing WONCA Europe at this session was Prof. Mehmet Ungan, Past President of WONCA Europe. Participating online, Prof. Ungan ensured that the frontline experiences of family doctors across Europe were integrated into the EMA’s strategic planning for the coming years.
The meeting was centred on finalizing the revised engagement framework and the new 2025–2028 joint workplan, both of which reinforce the essential role of professional organizations in the EU regulatory ecosystem.
Strategic Themes for Primary Care
Several key areas discussed during the meeting have direct implications for the daily practice of family physicians:
-
Strengthening Stakeholder Roles: Ongoing reforms to EU pharmaceutical legislation and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) implementation will see healthcare organizations more involved in decisions on drug access and reimbursement. WONCA Europe’s presence ensures that these policies are grounded in the practicalities of primary care.
-
Managing Critical Medicine Shortages: Professional bodies were invited to help update the EU Union List of Critical Medicines. Given that shortages significantly disrupt frontline prescribing and patient continuity, this is a top priority for WONCA Europe.
-
Expanding Real-World Evidence: The EMA is shifting toward a greater use of Real-World Data (RWD) and patient preference studies. As the repository of long-term patient care data, family medicine is uniquely positioned to contribute to these regulatory catalogues.
-
AI in Healthcare: Follow-up from the EMA’s multistakeholder AI workshop signals new policy developments. This will influence future digital health tools and clinical decision support systems used in primary care settings.
-
New Expert Group on Vaccine Confidence: In an effort to combat vaccine hesitancy, the EMA is seeking experts to advise on public trust and communication—a domain where the trusted relationship between family doctors and their communities is paramount.
Looking Ahead
The active involvement of WONCA Europe, led by experienced representatives like Prof. Ungan, ensures that the primary care voice remains loud and clear within European regulatory halls. “The EMA PCWP/HCPWP meeting reaffirmed the growing role of healthcare professional organisations in EU medicines policy, highlighting opportunities for WONCA Europe to strengthen the primary care voice in areas such as shortages, real-world evidence, vaccine confidence, and digital transformation.”