Medicines information

Introduction

In recent years there has been growing recognition of the need to improve the availability, quality and accessibility of information about medicines for the public. This is being driven by a number of stakeholders including patients themselves, the Government, the NHS, the regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry.

Easy access to high quality, reliable, patient-friendly medicines information is key to enabling people to:

• understand their medicines better
• participate in decisions about their own treatment
• make best use of the medicines they have been prescribed
  

This theme relates to the provision of Medicines Information in a variety of contexts. ‘Traditional’ routes such as:

• the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) provided by the medicine manufacturer
• information provided by the pharmacist at the point of dispensing
  

In a study of six countries, fewer British patients said their doctors usually involved them in treatment decisions – and they were less likely to have participated in a medication review than people in other countries. Their doctors were also less likely to have given them information about medicine side-effects than those in the other countries. Picker Institute, April 2006 -  Engaging patients in their healthcare.

and in a broader context:

• provision and communication of medicines information by a healthcare provider at diagnosis
• provision of medicines information via newer channels e.g. new publications and resources, websites, telephone helplines
• design of innovative packaging to enhance the provision of medicines information
• issues around the provision of medicines information e.g. patient safety; accessibility; communicating relative risk information
  

If you would like to contribute to or comment on anything in this section please email Di Stafford, lead for the Medicines Information theme.

Page last edited: 03 January 2007