Electronic product information promises to be a much more efficient and patient-friendly way of disseminating up-to-date manufacturing details and safety advice to patients and health professionals. But how prepared is the European pharmaceutical industry to deliver regulated product information in this way? Amplexor’s Agnes Cwienczek considers how companies might best prepare for delivering reliable electronic product information.
Information
Reliance on printed, paper-based instruction leaflets to inform patients and healthcare professionals when and how to use medicinal products or medical devices, and advise them about any safety considerations, makes little sense in the digital world.
Although printed patient information leaflets may remain an important option for older generations or populations without ready access to the internet, leaflets are far from the most effective or efficient means of disseminating critical information. The documents may be mislaid, for instance. The small-print may be very hard to read, and there may be several pages to plough through because of the detail companies need to cover – not to mention the multiple languages that may need to be included.