From 4-6 February 2016 EFCCA (the European Federation of Crohn´s and Ulcerative Colitis Associations) together with GAfPA (Global Alliance for Patient Access) organised an advocacy workshop on patient safety which took place in Barcelona and gathered over 60 patient representatives from a wide range of immune modulate disease groups.
The main objectives of the workshop were twofold: firstly, to create greater awareness amongst patient communities regarding the issues impacting access to biologic and biosimilar treatments and therefore to provide or improve basic understanding of the science and issues associated with biological medicines and biosimilars. And secondly, to provide training on how to employ effective advocacy and communication strategies with the goal of raising awareness and understanding amongst key policy makers.