ASHP Calls on FDA to Improve Consumer Drug Information

4/6/2009

Consumers should receive information about their medicines that is comprehensive and easy to understand, ASHP recently told a Food and Administration (FDA) advisory group. The agency is looking to improve the information patients receive with prescription medicines.

ASHP prevailed upon FDA to build stronger alliances with private sector publishers of consumer medication information (CMI) and require drug manufacturers to participate in developing a “Drug Facts Box” to summarize the risk-benefits of medications.

The Society also recommended that FDA conduct research to determine the optimal content and format for CMI.

Gerald McEvoy, Pharm.D., ASHP assistant vice president of drug information and Editor-in-Chief of AHFS DI testified at the advisory committee’s meeting in February. ASHP publishes CMI that is available via the National Library of Medicine Medline Plus, ConsumerReportsHealth.org, and the Society’s consumer Web site, Safemedication.com. For more information about ASHP advocacy on this issue contact Justine Coffey in ASHP’s Government Affairs Division at gad@ashp.org.

To read ASHP’s comments, click here.