Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15040

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Stockigt JR.
The quality of medication information in Australia: the need for more clinical expertise and accountability
eMJA 2009; 190:(3):110-111
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/190_03_020209/sto11172_fm.html

Abstract:

The current review of the Therapeutic Goods Administration is an opportunity to improve the system for updating product and consumer information on drugs

Pharmaceutical product information (PI) and consumer medicines information (CMI) are mandatory for prescription products in Australia, and government regulations specify that CMI must be consistent with PI.1 Health professionals and consumers should be able to assume that these sources are up-to-date and consistent with evidence-based best practice. However, this is not necessarily so, particularly for older medications.2,3 There is a wide discrepancy between the high-quality information available for new medications (eg, through series such as NPS RADAR [National Prescribing Service Rational Assessment of Drugs and Research]) and some existing texts2-4 that originate from pharmaceutical sponsors, who pay fees to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for review and approval of their submitted material.