The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7232 p80
18 January 2003

This page
Reprint
Photocopy

PDF* 80K

  Period-of-treatment fee
  Community pharmacy
  Locum pharmacy
  Hospital pharmacy
  PILs
  ReQuip
  The Profession
  Women's health
  CPD
  Scottish Executive
  The Society
  Registration exam
  Supervision
  The Register
  Christmas miscellany

Letters to the Editor

PILs

PILs generated by computer are the way forward

From Mr M. P. J. Hadley, MRPharmS

Recent correspondence in The Journal has missed the obvious point that many pharmacists can print out patient information leaflets from their patient medication records system.

Eclipse PMR leaflets include information contained in the manufacturers' leaflets plus, in some cases, important information from the data sheet or British National Formulary that the manufacturer has omitted. One example of this sort of information is the PIL for proguanil which does not inform pregnant patients that they need to take 5mg of folic acid instead of 400µg.

These leaflets can also be rapidly updated with information that has only recently become available. Our leaflet on warfarin now incorporates recent advice featured in The Pharmaceutical Journal regarding the consumption of green vegetables.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry recently stated that there are 12,000 changes made to Summaries of Product Characteristics each year. This means that thousands of PILs are given out each year, which are well out of date. Our leaflets are immediately updated to incorporate these changes as they are posted on our website.

The leaflets are also personalised so that they are more likely to be read and they enhance the reputation of the pharmacist as a provider of medicines information.

Computer generated patient information leaflets are a much better way forward.

Mike Hadley
Hadley Healthcare Solutions Ltd

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Hospital pharmacy)
Next Topic (Requip)