Provision of information on regulatory authorities' websites.
BACKGROUND
Several organizations have raised concerns about the excessive secrecy maintained by regulatory authorities around the world, in particular in the European Union, France, UK, Canada and Australia. However, limited research has assessed the provision of information by regulatory authorities. This study aimed to assess the type and availability of information provided on the regulatory authorities' websites.


METHODS
Regulatory authorities' websites in six countries (USA, Canada, UK, France, Australia and New Zealand) and at the European level (European Medicines Evaluation Agency) were surveyed by two reviewers between October 2005 and March 2006. The survey instrument included 16 criteria organized in 3 domains: information on marketed drugs, information on assessment of drugs and information on drug safety.


RESULTS
There was a great variability in the level of information provided. Several medicine agencies did not provide basic information on marketed drugs, such as the summary of products' characteristics. Information on registration dossiers was scant on most websites except that of the US Food and Drug Administration. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency, the French agency and the Canadian agency released public assessment reports that contained only summarized information of registration data. Only one country, Canada, provided full access to pharmacovigilance data. The periodic safety update reports that companies have to provide regularly to regulatory authorities were not available in any country.


CONCLUSIONS
Information on which regulatory authorities base their decisions for licensing new drugs and the rationales behind these decisions were often not publicly available.
Vitry
A
A
Quality use of Medicines and Pharmacy Practice Research Centre, Sansom Institute, School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Australia. agnes.vitry@unisa.edu.au
Lexchin
J
J
Sasich
L
L
Dupin-Spriet
T
T
Reed
T
T
Bertele
V
V
Garattini
S
S
Toop
L
L
Hurley
E
E
D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards; D001315:Australia; D002170:Canada; D030881:Disclosure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005060:Europe; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D009520:New Zealand; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000592:standards; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations