Voices That Shaped Our Medicines Research Conference
Patients and the public were at the heart of discussions at the Medicines in Acute & Chronic Care Driver Programme Conference 2026, helping to shape the future direction of research into medicines and their side effects.
As with the Medicines Frontiers Meeting earlier this year, the conference began with a patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) panel, ensuring that patient priorities were heard from the very start. This year’s conference focused on anticholinergic medicines, which are used to treat a range of conditions including bladder problems, depression and Parkinson’s disease, as well as adverse drug reactions and their impact on patients’ lives.
It was wonderful to welcome back Patient and Public Advisory Group members Peter, Sandra and Hilary as panellists. Drawing on their experiences and insights, they spoke passionately about the issues that matter most to patients. Their contributions went beyond the conference themes, highlighting not only priorities for research into medicines and side effects, but also what meaningful public involvement looks like and why it is so important to involve patients as true partners in research.
The conference brought together researchers, clinicians and public contributors with the shared aim of developing two major studies focused on adverse drug reactions and anticholinergic medicines. By opening the event with patient perspectives, discussions were grounded in real-world experiences and the challenges people face every day.
The panel provided a valuable foundation for the work ahead, helping to ensure that future research remains focused on improving outcomes for patients. The conference marked an exciting first step in shaping these studies, and further updates will be shared as plans continue to develop.
