english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2018 > Prescrire's Information Awards for 2017: 8 drug companies (out of 101 contacted) are honoured for the quality of information provided

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Prescrire's Information Awards for 2017: 8 drug companies (out of 101 contacted) are honoured for the quality of information provided

Palmarès de l'information Yet again in 2017, most drug companies did not embrace transparency, which is bad news for patients.

As part of its systematic literature search, Prescrire requests clinical data, packaging, and administrative and regulatory information from drug companies, then compares them with information obtained from other sources.

Prescrire's Information Awards reflect how each company assumes this responsibility to share information. Our aim is to encourage companies that have a responsible policy on the provision of information, and to urge companies that fail in this responsibility to do better.

In 2017, Prescrire's editors requested information from 101 companies. Some companies choose to be transparent with Prescrire, and demonstrate this by sending us quality information. 8 such companies were placed on the "Honours List" for 2017. Companies who provide useful, detailed data without delay, and sometimes without being asked, are rated "Outstanding": just one company this year.

Other drug companies fail to respond to some or all of our requests for information, or provide only limited data. Some of them delay their response, and then fail to provide usable information. Some omit the most important or sensitive data. Red Cards are given to highlight persistent deficiencies in the provision of information by certain drug companies: Prescrire's editors handed out 12 such Red Cards for 2017.

The years go by and our observations are unchanged. Overall, few pharmaceutical companies embraced transparency by agreeing to share all the data they hold with healthcare professionals. Yet transparency demonstrates a company's commitment to improving medication safety.

> The Prescrire Awards for 2017 (Free)

©Prescrire 25 January 2018

"The Prescrire Awards for 2017" Prescrire Int 2018; 27 (191): 79-83. (Pdf, free)

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The Prescrire
Awards for 2017
(January 2018)
Free