The Association Mieux Prescrire, a not-for-profit continuing education organisation (under the French law of 1901), publishes all the Prescrire publications. Its main aim is "to work, in all independence, in favour of quality healthcare, first and foremost in the interest of patients (...)".

Every year since 1992, Prescrire has published the Association Mieux Prescrire's accounts in its French and English editions (and also posted them online for all to see at www.prescrire.org and english.prescrire.org).

Since its first issue in January 1981, Prescrire has been produced by healthcare professionals who are particularly concerned about the independence of continuing medical education, which they are firmly committed to protecting from the conflicting interests that influence the medical and pharmaceutical arena.

In France, during the 1980s, the need for an independent journal for healthcare professionals was so blatant that the health ministry decided to support Prescrire financially in its early days. That grant ended in 1992, and since then Prescrire has been entirely financed by its approximately 30,000 subscribers. Since 1981, other interests and influences have emerged, in particular binding professional guidelines, and recommendations linked to financial incentives by the national health insurance system.

Classic promotional practices and new channels of influence mean that maintaining healthcare professionals' independence is as big a challenge as ever. Independence in continuing education and in practice results in professional choices in the best interests of patients. And Prescrire helps healthcare professionals to rise to this shared challenge.

©Prescrire 1 June 2016

"The finances of Association Mieux Prescrire: 2015 Prescrire annual report" Prescrire Int 2016; 25 (172): 116-167. (Pdf, free).