E-DRUG: Essential medicine policies to promote rational/quality use of medicines (3)
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Yes the same process [as for AMH] has been used for the BNF: The Commonwealth Pharmacists Association ships out old print copies of the BNF in the same way.
It is in my view very sad that this is all that can be done at present. A minority of prescribers in a minority of countries end up with an old print copy of a formulary that is designed for a foreign country, and which often has to serve them for many years, and all at considerable cost... There has to be a better way.
From our (HIFA's) perspective, the way forward is collaboration and funding to produce an open-access, downloadable, international online version similar to BNF/AMH. (There is some debate about which medicines would be included, but most of us feel that all 'commonly used medicines' (however defined) should be included and that such a resource would be based primarily if not exclusively on generic names). Even better, we feel, would be to present this version in a modifiable format that would facilitate adaptation and development of a new generation of national formularies (a new generation that would provide guidance on selection, like BNF/AMH, and not just information on individual medicines, which is already readily available).
The current situation (lack of access to information to inform prescribing choices) is unacceptable and is contributing to massive avoidable death and suffering (especially with increasing antimicrobial resistance). This is why I wrote the latest message to E-Drug today (below): to stimulate discussion and debate on the way forward.
Best wishes, Neil
Dr Neil Pakenham-Walsh MB,BS
Coordinator, Healthcare Information For All
Corner House, Market St, Charlbury, Oxfordshire OX7 3PN, UK
<http://www.hifa.org/>
Neil Pakenham-Walsh <neil@hifa.org>