The aim of the Access to Medicine Index (AtM) is to stimulate a positive change by publicly encouraging pharmaceutical companies to step up their efforts to improve access to medicine worldwide. The Index is initiated by the Dutch entrepreneur Wim Leereveld and receives financial support from Dutch and UK government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The work of the AtM has been covered by Dutch television in a short documentary. It clearly illustrates the positive impact that pharmaceutical companies can have on health care.

The Netherlands is the only country which has consistently been among the top three in the total ranking of any European Index the Health Consumer Powerhouse has published since 2005. Patient involvement and the input of medical professionals on operational level is one of the reasons for this success. Other reasons are the shortening of waiting lists in hospitals and politicians being less involved in operational decisions. With a better cost-efficiency, Dutch results would even be higher!