Medicines Tracker - a unique resource for the public
It is a major decision to embark on creating a new medicines resource. We know that there is a lot of information available on the web but it is dispersed, often unreliable and oriented to healthcare professionals rather than the public.
In 2015 I started looking for information about a new heart failure treatment, Entresto, from Novartis. It took me 9 months to establish whether the medicine was available in my local area. And I work with medicines information. How, I wondered, do members of the public find out about these treatments? The stark answer is: they don't.
Not only is information about new treatments difficult to find, but important safety information is made available only in medical silos. Do not assume your healthcare professionals are up-to date either.
Many colleagues and friends availed me of tales of inappropriate prescribing. They tolerated, often debilitating, side effects. They persevered and only after repeated and insistent approaches to healthcare professionals was anything done.
So we took that decision and now, for the first time anywhere, members of the public can track information about the medicines they, or those they care for, take or are interested in. We now cover nearly 600 medicines and over 600 conditions.
I would like to thank the terrific team that helped deliver this ambition. Dave, Sharon and Roger, I thank you and everyone else who has supported the project.
THE NEED FOR MEDICINES TRACKER
We identified a number of areas where delivery of information to patients, carers and healthcarers could be significantly improved.
As knowledge about medicines improves there is an abundance of new information that is meant to improve safety. However patients are rarely kept informed about side effects, adherence resources and new products.
Examples are the frequent changes to patient information about safety issues such as dosing, interactions and side effects. We support patients by providing information that explains their medicines and helps improve proper use.
SOURCES
Using recognised and credible source of information we provide a central point of information and signposts to reliable sources.
Keep Me Informed uses information about medicines from official bodies such as:
- European Medicines Agency (EMA) - the EU body that approves the marketing of medicines
- Medicines and healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - the UK's regulatory agency
- NHS - the National Health Service provides a substantial amount of good quality information about conditions and medicines
- DailyMed (US labels) - the US repository of official information about medicines, part of the National Library of Medicine
- The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - England's health assessment body that aims to improve health and social care through evidence-based guidance
- Summaries of product characteristics - regulated information about medicines aimed at healthcare professionals provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers
- Patient leaflets - also known as package leaflets
- Patient organisations - supporting many conditions
EASY TO USE
With Keep Me Informed - Medicines Tracker, users can follow any medicine in our database.
Users following a medicine will receive e-mail notifications about new information which can include:
- Changes to patient leaflets, such as new side effects, interactions and contraindications (where use of certain medicines should be avoided)
- Risk management materials - information that aims to help patients use medicines properly and safely
- NICE & Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) guidelines - providing evidence based recommendations on the treatment of a number of conditions
- Product recalls - where medicines are removed from circulation
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings
RANGE OF MEDICINES
There are over ten thousand medicines approved for use in the UK, Europe and the United States.
We currently track all the medicines that are approved by the European Medicines Agency and some that are older and approved by the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA. The database is updated continuously and users can request medicines that are not yet covered.
How to use Keep Me Informed - Medicines Tracker
- Login or register for a Keep Me Informed account. All we need is your email address (to send updates), a password and a memorable question.
- Choose the Select Medicines option
- Select the medicines to follow and choose Follow Medicine
RECENT EXAMPLES OF ARTICLES
For more information:
website: www.keepmeinformed.eu
contact: info@keepmeinformed
Wow,? Motty!? Looks like a cracking idea. ? Talked briefly about where you are when last I saw Mr Davey over a beer....? Hope life's treating you well.? Me?? Doing ok in blissful retirement,? drinking beer,? travelling a good bit and keeping out of trouble.? Good luck with the new venture. Andy