Debate on research dissemination at the Danish Medicines Agency

On 1 October, the Danish Medicines Agency and the Danish Society for Pharmacoepidemiology have invited a number of researchers, doctors and communication officers from research institutions throughout Denmark to  a debate on how the findings of new health research can be disseminated most responsibly. The debate meeting can be followed live on the Danish Medicines Agency’s Facebook profile.

When new studies are published, media interest can be massive. Researchers are often asked to give interviews to a profusion of both national and international media on the very day of publication, while the regulatory agencies are being asked to quickly assess the study and GPs are fielding questions from patients who are concerned by the media coverage.

On the one hand, the announcement and the media’s coverage of a new study can cause unnecessary concern among patients and citizens. On the other hand, we are seeing steadily increasing demands by society in general for timely and relevant information from researchers and regulatory agencies about drug safety issues.

The point of departure for the debate is therefore how we can accommodate this new reality and society’s demands for better communication in the most constructive and appropriate way.

The debate will take place at the Danish Medicines Agency and will culminate in a white paper for researchers containing good advice about how to prepare for the massive media interest that can arise on the day a new study is published.

Follow the debate live

The debate meeting is the first of its kind and not only relevant within the pharmaceutical field, but for the entire field of healthcare. We are therefore sending live from the Danish Medicines Agency’s Facebook profile, for the first time ever, to allow researchers, physicians, patients and other stakeholders to follow the debate and share their input.

You can follow the debate on Monday 1 October at 14.00 on Facebook.