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How can we make the healthcare system, therapeutic programs, and drug policies more patient- and doctor-friendly and more effective, especially given the steadily increasing number of people aged 60+ — and thus, potential patients with neurological conditions?

These and other key issues were discussed during the roundtable “The current state and challenges of Polish neurology in the context of an aging society,” held on May 27 and organized by the Institute for the Development of Social Affairs at the Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii in Warsaw. Particular attention was given to Parkinson’s disease, in light of the growing challenges faced by patients, especially in the context of the B90 drug program.

The roundtable was officially opened by Jakub Golab, IRSS President, and Piotr Nowicki, IPiN Director. The session was moderated by healthcare policy expert Dr. Jakub Gierczyński, PhD, MD, MBA. The discussion addressed the need for systemic reforms in neurological care, including improvements to treatment access and drug programs, with contributions from:

– Prof. Bartosz Karaszewski – National Consultant in Neurology, Chair of the Committee on Clinical Sciences at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Neurology at GUMed, and Head of the Adult Neurology Clinic at the University Clinical Center in Gdańsk
– Prof. Halina Sienkiewicz-Jarosz – Chair of the National Council for Neurology, President-elect of the Polish Neurological Society, Head of the 1st Neurology Clinic at the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, and former Director of the Institute (2020–2023)
– Prof. Alina Kułakowska – President of the Polish Neurological Society, Deputy Head of the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of Białystok
– Prof. Dariusz Koziorowski – Head of the Department of Neurology at the Medical University of Warsaw, based at Mazowiecki Bródnowski Hospital
– Mateusz Oczkowski – Deputy Director of the Department of Drug Policy and Pharmacy, Ministry of Health
– Krzysztof Landa (Łanda) – Health system expert, former Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health (2015–2017)
– Dr. Kasia Smilowska MD, PhD – Neurologist
– Dr. Urszula Wyrwińska – President of the Association for People with Parkinson’s Disease and Neurodegenerative Disorders and their Caregivers, Park On
– Joanna Bogdanowicz-Antos, President, Fundacja Zdrowego Postępu
– Wojciech Machajek – President, Fundacja Chorób Mózgu
– Jakub Adamski – Director of the Department of Cooperation, Rzecznik Praw Pacjenta

A comprehensive expert report summarizing the discussion and outlining key recommendations will be published in the near future.