Programme integration to support drug information and dissemination.

Abstract

The world-wide Drug Information/Drug Experience/Publication Programme at Norwich Eaton Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NEPI) is coordinated and supported by the Information Services (IS) and Medical Surveillance and Communications (MSC) sections of R&D. To support the programme, IS maintains a database of published reports of drug reactions and MSC maintains a separate but compatible database of drug experiences reported by health care professionals, patients, and the field sales force, as well as in published reports. These databases are used to provide information to individuals both inside and outside the Company. All requests for information from authors, editors and publishers are coordinated through IS. Also, when factual errors about NEPI products are discovered, this section coordinates a response to the author and publisher. Requests for information from health care professionals are handled by MSC. The programme serves as a framework for systematic gathering, storage and dissemination of information. The programme also clearly identifies the departments responsible for responding to outside inquiries and makes possible expedient provision of consistent, accurate information to authors, editors, publishers and clinicians throughout the world.