Study visit hosted by the Finnish Medicines Agency

Nearly 30 experts from medicines authorities across 13 European countries and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) came together in Helsinki on September 22–23, 2026, for a CHESSMEN study visit hosted by the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea.

The two-day visit provided an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences and discuss practical approaches to preventing and managing medicine shortages across Europe.

The program combined presentations, practical demonstrations and discussions. Participants gained insights into the Finnish pharmaceutical operating environment and explored how medicine shortages and preparedness are managed in Finland. Topics included national preparedness arrangements, obligatory storage and Fimea’s tools for supporting shortage management and preparedness.

A key part of the visit was the exchange of experiences between participating authorities. Discussions addressed preventive and mitigation measures used in different countries, as well as practical challenges and good practices related to stakeholder cooperation, cross-functional collaboration and the use of data and automated systems in shortage management.

The study visit was organized as part of Work Package 8 of the EU-funded CHESSMEN Joint Action, led by Fimea. The work package focuses on measures to prevent medicine shortages and mitigate their impact. The visit contributed to the broader CHESSMEN objective of strengthening cooperation and sharing knowledge and practices among medicines authorities across Europe.