Excelya at Patient Safety Congress 2026 in Amsterdam

Author: Galina Stamenova

, Senior Safety Manager
Published on: 29/09/2026

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min

WDSC Europe 2026 Conference

Introduction, from the floor of Amsterdam

The World Patient Safety Congress Europe 2026 in Amsterdam highlighted how pharmacovigilance, risk management, signal detection and safety operations are evolving in response to regulatory expectations and technological change. Across sessions on compliance, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and pharmacovigilance outsourcing, one message stood out clearly: patient safety teams are becoming increasingly important to strategic and operational decision-making throughout the product lifecycle. As organizations introduce new technologies, manage complex safety information and work across internal and external teams, pharmacovigilance expertise is expanding beyond regulatory execution. It is becoming a critical connection between reliable data, regulatory compliance, operational quality and patient protection.

Jump to Section

1Patient Safety at WPSC 2026

2Excelya Top Insights from Amsterdam

3Looking Forward

4FAQ

European community of patient safety in healthcare

Why the WPSC 2026 Conference matters

The World Patient Safety Congress Europe 2026, formerly known as World Drug Safety Congress Europe, took place from 22 to 24 September at RAI Amsterdam. The event brought together professionals from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, regulatory organizations and the wider patient safety community to discuss the future of pharmacovigilance. For teams working across drug safety, regulatory compliance and benefit-risk management, the discussions came at an important moment. Safety operations are becoming more data-driven, regulatory expectations continue to evolve and organizations are exploring how artificial intelligence and digital tools can support pharmacovigilance activities.

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The next chapter of patient safety will not be defined by technology alone. It will depend on how well organizations connect scientific expertise, regulatory awareness, operational quality, trusted data and human judgement.

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From left to right: Panagiota Grypioti, Hector de La Fouchardière, and Galina Stamenova.

Excelya Top Insights from Belfast

Top Patient Safety Takeaways from WPSC Europe 2026

Interactive workshops strengthen industry knowledge sharing

Anteractive workshops encouraged open exchanges on current pharmacovigilance challenges, good practices and emerging trends. These conversations allowed participants to compare experiences and consider different approaches to common operational issues. They also reinforced the importance of knowledge sharing as safety teams navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

Compliance and risk management require continuous readiness

Compliance and risk management remained central themes throughout the congress. The discussions emphasized the importance of clear responsibilities, consistent processes, reliable documentation and appropriate oversight. Rather than preparing only for inspections or reporting deadlines, pharmacovigilance teams need to maintain continuous readiness across their safety activities.

III

AI is moving deeper into pharmacovigilance

Artificial intelligence, signal detection and digital transformation featured prominently at the congress. AI can help teams manage complex safety information and improve selected pharmacovigilance processes. However, its use requires appropriate governance, validation and transparency. Qualified human oversight remains essential for scientific assessment and safety-critical decisions.

PV outsourcing depends on strong governance

Pharmacovigilance outsourcing can provide organizations with additional capacity, flexibility and specialist expertise. Successful partnerships, however, require clear responsibilities, regular communication and shared quality expectations. Effective governance and appropriate oversight help ensure that outsourced activities remain consistent, reliable and aligned with regulatory requirements.

Taken together, these discussions showed that pharmacovigilance is becoming more connected, technology-enabled and strategically important. From compliance and risk management to AI-supported processes and outsourced delivery models, patient safety teams remain central to operational quality, regulatory confidence and patient protection.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
RISK MANAGEMENT
SIGNAL DETECTION & AI
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
PV OUTSOURCING

Looking Forward

Turning Patient Safety Insights into Action

World Patient Safety Congress Europe 2026 reinforced the importance of bringing regulatory awareness, pharmacovigilance expertise, technology, and practical operational thinking together. For pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device organizations, the next step is to turn these discussions into approaches that work in practice, whether strengthening compliance, refining risk management strategies, improving signal detection, navigating digital transformation, or reviewing PV outsourcing models.

For Excelya, the congress provided valuable insights and opportunities to connect with clients, partners and industry professionals. By combining perspectives from business development, pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs, our teams can translate the discussions started in Amsterdam into flexible, high-quality support for current and future client projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was World Patient Safety Congress Europe 2026?

The congress brought together professionals from the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, regulatory and patient safety communities to discuss the future of pharmacovigilance, clinical safety, signal detection, benefit-risk management and regulatory compliance. The 2026 event took place at RAI Amsterdam from September 22 to 24.

What were the main pharmacovigilance topics discussed?

The discussions addressed compliance and regulatory expectations, risk management, signal detection, artificial intelligence, digital transformation and pharmacovigilance outsourcing. Interactive workshops also enabled attendees to exchange experiences and perspectives on the practical challenges facing safety organizations.

Why is AI becoming important in pharmacovigilance?

AI can help safety teams manage complex information, support the identification of relevant patterns and improve the efficiency of selected workflows. Its use still requires fit-for-purpose governance, transparency, validation, data protection and qualified human oversight, particularly for safety-critical assessments and decisions.

Why does pharmacovigilance outsourcing require strong oversight?

Outsourced safety activities remain part of the sponsor’s wider pharmacovigilance system. Clear responsibilities, effective governance, regular communication and meaningful performance monitoring help organizations maintain consistency, quality and regulatory compliance when working with external partners.

How can Excelya support pharmacovigilance and patient safety activities?

Excelya supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device organizations with flexible pharmacovigilance solutions across clinical development and post-marketing activities. Our teams combine safety expertise, regulatory awareness and quality-focused processes to help clients manage complex requirements and maintain reliable patient safety operations.

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