The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7207 p97-101
20 July 2002

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  Drug names
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Letters to the Editor

Evidence-based medicine

Many definitions of EBM

From Mrs M. T. Taylor, MRPharmS

Orest Supyk, in his letter on practising evidence-based medicine (PJ, 13 July, p54) rightly states that meta-analyses and clinical trials help us to find the best treatment for a population and so the results may not apply to individual patients. He suggests that clinical judgement should be used when applying evidence and that the wishes of the patient should be considered. However, he implies that this is somehow at odds with the concept of evidence-based medicine.

There are many definitions of evidence-based medicine but this is probably one of the most succinct: "The integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values."¹ Thus Mr Supyk is practising evidence-based medicine.

Marianne Taylor

Clinical Effectiveness Pharmacist
Leeds Teaching Hospitals

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