Pharmacy Daily | More than a useful tool for therapeutic decisionmaking

IN AN era of significant demographic, economic and technological challenges, it is incumbent upon healthcare professionals to achieve the safe and optimal use of medicines. Achieving these optimal outcomes for our patients remains our therapeutic goal. Our challenge then becomes managing uncertainty with the sheer volume of medicines information published each year in the biomedical literature. The number of medical journal articles has quadrupled from 200,000 in 1970 to more than 800,000 in 2010. With the current number of articles published annually in medical literature, someone who reads two articles every day would be 1,225 years behind at the end of the first year. It is against this backdrop that the principles of accessibility, accuracy, currency, immediacy, relevance, reliability, validity and usability become fundamental cornerstones in the provision and retrieval of medicines information. Integrating evidence-based medicines and consumer information in an aesthetically-appealing format recognises these principles. But are these principles of equal weight? Healthcare professionals may vary in their preferences for sourcing medicines information; however, their requirements share the principles outlined above. Resources such as the device responsive AusDI website combine accessibility and functionality to integrate comprehensive medicines information that is being updated continuously, and thereby supports the needs of healthcare professionals as a primary reference point. It is more than a useful tool for therapeutic decision-making. This week’s contributor is Diana Bicopoulos, Managing Editor of Medical Director.

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