The public drug information site launched by the government, for greater transparency, will reach the threshold of one million pages visited in the coming days, says the ANSM.
“Its success has not waned” since its launch on October 1 by the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine, added François Hébert, in comments reported by the Medical Press Agency (APM). While recalling that this was a “first version of the database”, he recalled that on the occasion of future developments, the State wanted it to remain a “reference base, which will always give it an austere aspect ”.
This reference base launched by the government more than a month ago aims to provide French people with reliable information on the products marketed. After the various health scandals on drugs (Mediator, new generation pills, Diane 35 …), the government now wishes to play transparency on drugs. The site www.medicaments.gouv.fr thus enables all users to find out about the undesirable effects of a treatment and the drugs subject to specific monitoring. Impartial information which will be regularly updated by the ministry, in complete independence from the pharmaceutical industry.
But this database is also an opportunity for the public authorities to make the user responsible. The waste and overconsumption of drugs still weigh on the accounts of Social Security, already largely in deficit (16.5 billion in 2013). In its last report on the analysis of drug sales in France in 2012, the Medicines Agency indicated that the French were still among the biggest supporters of drugs. They still consume an average of 48 boxes per year.
In addition, this site and this database are also intended to remind all users how to properly use a product. Detailed information of good use and intended for both the patient and the healthcare professional.
Upcoming improvements
In addition, François Hébert indicated that, by February 2014, it will be possible to download the entire database. He felt that this could allow private companies to use it as they wish.
And among other innovations to come, he cited the mention of the recommendations of good use (RBU) of the High Authority of Health (HAS) in the database. This operation is complicated by the fact that these recommendations may relate, in their current form, to a category of medicinal products and not to a precise list of specialties.
The ANSM should then add the drug interactions to the site. Finally, in the longer term, the agency would like the database to be searchable from the scan of the QR code that appears on the medicine boxes.
.
