About Prescrire

Prescrire's History

Since its inception in 1981, Prescrire has built a solid tradition of editorial quality, and achieved total financial independence.

Created by practicing healthcare professionals
Transparency is Prescrire's watchword The idea for Prescrire was conceived at the end of the 1970s by a group of French doctors and pharmacists who wanted to create a continuing education journal that was "reliable, independent, and adapted to the needs of primary care", a publication that was sorely needed at the time.

This team linked up with Unaformec (then France's only national union of independent continuing education organisations) and university hospital professionals (in particular the team of pharmacologists from Paris's La Pitié-Salpètrière hospital).

The group received an annual grant from France's Health Ministry from 1981 to 1987. During that period, La revue Prescrire was published by Unaformec.

1988-1993: towards financial autonomy
In 1988, due to ongoing financial difficulties, Unaformec withdrew from the management of La revue Prescrire, and an independent continuing education organisation, Association Mieux Prescrire (AMP), was created to carry on with Prescrire's development.

At this time, as a result of action taken by a group of supporters, "Les Amis de la revue Prescrire" ("Friends of Prescrire"), the French national health insurance system (CNAMTS) awarded a one-time grant of 1 million French francs so that Prescrire could carry on. In parallel, Prescrire’s management negotiated that the Ministry grant would decrease progressively, with a view to phasing it out completely.

Since 1993: independent and self-supporting
Since 1993, Prescrire's publications and AMP's other activities have been entirely financed by subscribers. AMP accepts no advertising, grants or outside support of any kind.

©Prescrire November 2016