EMA communication: "pool of reviewers" for herbal medicines summaries

The European Medicines' Agency is looking to establish a ‘pool of reviewers’ who would be available and interested to review the herbal summaries when they are being prepared by our medical writers.

Background information: this follows a presentation made during the last PCWP (Patients' and Consumers' Working Party) meeting, and which highlighted a new initiative to publish summaries of herbal monographs (scientific opinions on herbal medicines prepared by the Herbal Committee (HMPC).

Format? The format of the herbal monograph summary is similar to other documents for the general public, such as the EPAR summaries.

How much work does this mean for you? The European Medicines' Agency anticipates to send out approximately 5 summaries every two months with 10 days to comment on each. They propose to send them out on a rotational basis (if someone is not available at that particular time we would ask the next one in line, etc.).

The idea is to start at the beginning of March.

Interested in joining this pool of experts to review the summaries? Please inform the European Medicines' Agency by 22 January (PCWPSecretariat@ema.europa.eu).

Additional opportunities to get involved: In addition to the above, the European Medicines' Agency is also working with the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) to determine whether there would also be other opportunities for involvement of patients, e.g. consultations on a case by case basis. In this regard please also inform the Patients' and Consumers' Working Party's Secretariat if you would potentially be interested in being involved in other areas of the HMPC work.