Are you a patient representative interested in drug development? Do you want to develop the right knowledge to become an effective contributor in this process, strengthening the role of the patient? If so, you might be interested in the new  e-learning modules , ‘From Molecule to Medicine,’ developed  INVOLV (PGO support) . Commissioned by FAST, PGO support has developed this online module to encourage patient representation in the development of new therapies.

The Journey of a Medicine

INVOLV guides you through the journey a medicine takes before it becomes available on the market. The e-learning consists of four online modules you can complete independently, at your own pace. These modules cover the main stages of drug discovery and early development, clinical research, registration, and reimbursement & accessibility.

The modular structure allows you to focus on specific areas. It is not necessary to complete the entire e-learning,for example if you are already familiar with certain aspects.

The knowledge you gain support you in further steps towards:

• Setting up a working group on medicines within your patient organisation;
• Enhancing the level of knowledge about (patient involvement in) drug development within your organisation;
• Enrolling in the EUPATI Netherlands programme, which further deepens and broadens your knowledge of drug development.

And if you are an EUPATI fellow looking for an accessible way to introduce your fellow patient representatives to drug development, do make sure to direct them to this e-learning!

Learning Path vs. EUPATI Netherlands

As you may know, INVOLV also offers the EUPATI training programme in the Netherlands. This programme trains up to 18 patient representatives every 14 months to become fully-fledged contributors in drug development.

However, there is a greater need for expert representatives of the patient perspective in drug development than the EUPATI NL programme can accommodate. The ‘From Molecule to Medicine’ e-learning provides more patient representatives with access to knowledge about drug development and patient representation in this process.

Another difference is that EUPATI NL requires more time and energy as it covers the content in much greater detail. The e-learning also starts with the patient perspective but provides information on a more general level. The EUPATI NL programme can, of course, be a valuable next step to further build on the knowledge gained from the learning path.