E-DRUG: ISDB Press release re DTB funding crisis
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Dear E-Druggers
This is the Press Release sent to UK Government and the media.
Stopping a reliable source of comparative drug information in the UK will
harm patients
The UK Government has decided to stop the distribution of the Drug and
Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) to healthcare professionals funded by the
National Health Service (NHS). The International Society of Drug Bulletins
(ISDB) which represents 76 independent bulletins in 41 countries around
the globe warns that not only will doctors miss the DTB as a reliable
source of independent comparative information for rational therapeutic
choice, but that this step of the UK Department of Health (DoH) will
definitely do harm to patients. Furthermore the DTB has a good reputation
around the globe and many DTB articles have been translated by drug
bulletins in other countries.
The DoH argues that there are other sources of drug information and quotes
among others the British National Formulary, the National Prescribing Centre
and the National Electronic Library for Health. These sources may provide
useful information but do only complement and can never replace the
information DTB has to offer. The health sector is flooded with misleading
medical promotion, which leads to wrong choices and over-medicalisation.
There is a need for more, not less, independent drug information.
It¹s not only the very existence of DTB which is at stake but also that of
³Treatment Notes² a rather unique type of patient information which is also
produced by DTB. The decision to stop the funding of DTB only when the
latest contract has ended meant that the bulletin had virtually no
opportunity to switch over to a subscription-based model.
The claim by the DoH that DTB is a ³commercial publication² is outrageous
and misleading. It is difficult to believe that the DoH cannot distinguish
between commercial and independent information.
The DoH is ill-advised in believing that cutting off DTB would save the NHS
money. The savings will be surpassed by a quickly rising prescription bill.
It is the duty of each public health system in the world to ensure that
prescribers and patients alike have easy access to independent information
on medicines. The UK Government would be misguided in cutting off
scientifically sound information sources and leaving therapeutic choices
even more to the market forces. The ISDB strongly recommends that the UK
Government rethinks its decisions for the benefit of patients and and health
professionals worldwide.
Contacts:
Jörg Schaaber jschaaber@bukopharma.de
Christophe Kopp christophe.Kopp@wanadoo.fr
Website: ISDBweb.org