1998-2007: Ten years of sampling and testing of centrally authorised products

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA), in August 2008, published a report on the progress of the annual, EU-wide programmes it coordinates for monitoring the quality of centrally authorised medicines available on the European market. Run in conjunction with the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM), and the national laboratories and medicines authorities of EU and EEA Member States, the sampling and testing programmes aim to detect any quality issues that need to be addressed, in the interest of protecting public and animal health. Covering the period 1998-2007, the report provides statistical data on the number of medicines tested, summarises the results obtained, describes various changes that have been introduced to the programmes over the years, and highlights the involvement and cooperation of partner organisations across Europe.