title: Drug information by public health and regulatory institutions: Results of an 8-country survey in Europe.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the framework of drug information produced by public health and regulatory institutions in Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a short survey asking editors of ISDB bulletins of the European region to indicate the main sources of drug information provided by public health and regulatory authorities in their countries, the specific kind of information produced and their opinions about strengths and weaknesses of such information. The availability of evaluations about the added therapeutic value of drugs and of tools facilitating the implementation of such information were particularly addressed and checked on the websites of those institutions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Answers pertaining to eight countries were available. Regulatory information and safety alerts are generally available, but just UK and Germany stand out by showing quite an advanced framework of evidence-based, comparative drug information for health professionals, decision-makers and for the general public. National plans to implement evidence-based drug information seem lacking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More efforts are warranted to develop sharp formats to make evidence-based drug information easier to access, understand and put in context, showing the place in therapy of medicines and their added therapeutic value. Harmonization of different sources, also at European level, would be important to favor their access and limit dispersion. Appropriate tools and specific plans are then necessary to favor implementation of information materials.
authors.affiliation: Health and Welfare Directorate, Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: giulio.formoso@regione.emilia-romagna.it.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Formoso
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical department, ULSS 20 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Font-Pous
authors.affiliation: Head of hematology, oncology and cancer immunology, HELIOS Klinikum Berlin-Buch, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolf-Dieter
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB), London, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Phizackerley
authors.affiliation: Geneesmiddelenbulletin, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dick
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bijl
authors.affiliation: Servicio Navarro de Salud, Sección de Información y Asesoría del Medicamento, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erviti
authors.affiliation: State Institute for Drug Control, Praha, Czechia.
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pospíšilová
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Médicale et Clinique, Centre Midi-Pyrénées de Pharmacovigilance, Pharmacoépidémiologie et d'Informations sur le Médicament, Faculté de Médecine, CHU de Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Jean Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Montastruc
mesh_terms: D016907:Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems / Q000592:standards*; D003257:Consumer Product Safety / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D004346:Drug Information Services; D005060:Europe; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000592:standards; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: Added therapeutic value; Europe; Evidence-based drug information; Medicines regulatory agencies; Public health institutions