On October 12th 2011, PAHO Assistant Director, Dr. Socorro Gross-Galiano received the Director of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Products (AEMPS) Dr. Belén Crespo Sánchez-Exnarriaga and Chief of the Director Support Unit, Dr. Ramón Palop Baixauli, at PAHO headquarters in Washington, DC, in order to explore joint activities in the area of the regulation of medicines and health technologies.


Photo PAHO/WHO David Spitz

Topics discussed during the visit included: presentation of PAHO/WHO cooperation initiatives and activities with the countries in the Region of the Americas in medicines and health technologies, presentation of AEMPS perspectives and its activities with PAHO, with special focus on pharmacovigilance and training on issues related to Good Regulatory Practices.

Dr. Belén Crespo introduced the AEMPS new management model for medicines regulation for human and veterinarian use. In addition, she explained the new structural organization of the agency and challenges in legal, socio-political, and scientific areas relating to pharmaceutical regulation, among others.

Similarly, Dr. Ramón Palop Baixauli highlighted AEMPS international activities that aim to promote exchange and cooperation between Latin American countries in pharmaceutical regulation

In this context, the PAHO Medicines and Health Technologies (HSS/MT) Project Coordinator, Dr. James Fitzgerald, outlined activities being developed in medicines and health technologies within the context of the global and regional health agenda. He also mentioned the qualification of four National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) that are considered as regional reference for PAHO and presented recent advances of the Pan American Network for Drug Regulatory Harmonization (PANDRH).

At the end of the visit, AEMPS and PAHO representatives agreed to promote cooperation in pharmacovigilance for 2012, as well as strengthen training processes and the development of platforms to promote exchange between countries within the region.