Points to consider
There is a vast amount of information on the Internet about medicines. Some
of it is reliable and relevant to medicines in the UK, but some of it is not.
This information sheet gives you a few hints and tips on finding reliable
medicines information. Please let us know what you think of them.
It is vital to remember three things when you’re looking for medicines or
other information on the Internet:
- No one is in overall charge of the Internet – anyone can post information
and although some sites are careful about checking information posted, this may
not be true for every website.
- There are some people who use the Internet to make money, either by selling
medicines illegally or recommending a wonder cure that does not work.
- Remember that healthcare in other countries is organised in different ways
to the UK. Some treatments might not be available in the UK or be offered to
different people. In addition, some conditions or medicines have different names
in different countries.
There are other points to consider as well when you are looking for
information about medicines on the Internet:
- Medicines have two names: a generic name and a brand name. For instance,
ibuprofen is a generic name and Nurofen® is a brand name. You may also hear
medicines referred to as ‘proprietary’. This is the same as a brand name
medicine.
- Medicines sometimes have different names outside the UK – they may be known
by their generic name or the manufacturer may use a different brand name. For
instance, paracetamol is known as acetaminophen in the USA.
- Some medicines were originally developed to treat one condition but were
found to help a completely separate condition so any information you find might
seem misleading.
- When you read any information, you might also read that the medicine is not
licensed for children and young people. You can be assured that an unlicensed
medicine has only been prescribed because no licensed alternative is available.
- The majority of side effects are identified when the medicine is being
tested, and they are all included in the patient information leaflet. This can
make for worrying reading, but remember that some of the reported side effects
are extremely rare.
People you can ask
Your pharmacist should always be your first port of call if you have any
questions about medicines. Most community pharmacies have a quiet room where you
can talk to a pharmacist in private. Many hold a selection of health information
leaflets as well.
Outside of opening hours, you can call NHS Direct or NHS Direct Wales on 0845
4647 for advice about medicines. In Scotland, you can call NHS24 on 08454 24 24
24. In most cases, the operator will take your name and telephone number and a
qualified nurse will ring you back to answer your questions.
Search engines
It is the easiest thing in the world. Just type in a few words into a search
engine, such as Google or Yahoo, and get lots of web pages back in seconds.
However, using a search engine is not always the most reliable way of finding
medicines information on the Internet. We would suggest trying the websites
listed in the next section first, as they contain reliable, regulated and safe
medicines information.
Useful websites for medicines information
Most medicines come with patient information leaflets provided by the
manufacturer, some of which are available on the Electronic Medicines Compendium
website at emc.medicines.org.uk. Versions of patient information leaflets
for people with visual impairments are available at XPIL at xpil.medicines.org.uk.
Some of the information is written in plain English but other sections are
harder to understand. The information given about a medicine usually
includes:
- the name and manufacturer of the medicine
- why it is usually prescribed
- how it is given
- interactions with other medicines
- contraindications, that is, circumstances when the medicine should not be
taken
- possible side effects
- what to do if too much is taken n the active ingredients in the medicine and
how they work
- and storage instructions.
The British National Formulary is the main reference guide used by health
professionals in the UK for prescribing, dispensing and giving medicines. It is
updated twice a year and is available at www.bnf.org. The information is written for health
professionals but the information is laid out in a clear and consistent way.
There is also a version for children’s medicines at www.bnfc.org.
NHS Choices (www.nhs.uk). This
website contains information on conditions, treatments, local services and
healthy living.
Pharmacy Health Link (www.pharmacyhealthlink.org.uk) is a charity that promotes the
part that pharmacists can play in managing our health. They provide various
health information leaflets on their website, many of which are free to
download. They do not provide information on specific medicines but can help you
to understand more about medicines in general and those used for specific common
conditions.
The Consumer Health Information Centre (www.chic.org.uk) offers advice on over-the-counter (OTC)
medicines used to treat common ailments. They also provide information on
getting the most from your medicines and how to store them safely.
Medicine Chest (www.medicinechest.co.uk) is a website from the Proprietary
Association of Great Britain and is a useful source of information about
over-thecounter medicines.
NetDoctor (www.netdoctor.co.uk) is a website run by a group of qualified
health care professionals who aim to improve communication between doctors and
patients. Their website contains a section on medicines information that
contains details of specific medicines indexed by both generic and brand names
and also general information on taking medicines safely.
Support organisations for specific conditions can also provide useful
information on medicines. Get in touch with Contact a Family (www.cafamily.org.uk), the
umbrella organisation for support groups in the UK, to see whether they can
help. You can ring them on 0808 808 3555 or visit their website.
Evaluating other websites
When you find a website covering your area of interest, you need to ask
yourself a series of questions before accepting what the website says. Remember
to be cautious when reading any information on the Internet. A website that
appears to be credible might not be all it seems. Learning to think critically
about information is a vital skill in using information well. The sorts of
questions you should be asking include:
-
Who has produced the information and posted it on the
internet? Follow any links on the site that say ‘home’ or ‘about us’ to find out
more. Visit websites produced by organisations you trust first, those from
academic, professional or NHS organisations should be the most reliable UK ones.
- Look at the date when the information was produced and/or
posted. As a general rule, be wary of any information produced more than four
years ago. Information about specific medicines should be updated more
frequently than this, often once or twice a year.
- Ask yourself why the website is there. Is it trying to
recommend a particular product to you or a specific company? If the website is
selling something, the information it provides may be biased.
Using the information you find
Once you have found the information you were looking for, you need to decide
what to do with it next. It’s easy to find lots of credible websites but you end
up with only a pile of paper and no idea what to do next.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the information you have found. Be
wary, though, of taking a large pile of print outs along to an appointment. This
can be very off-putting for some people. It might be less intimidating if you
use the information you find to put together a list of questions to ask. The
Department of Health has produced a leaflet called ‘Questions to ask: getting the most out of your appointment’ to get you started.
Make a note of where you found the information. Most web browsers can be set
up to print the web address of any pages you print. Make sure the date is
included as well. Information on the Internet can change daily and there’s no
guarantee that if you go back to a website a few weeks later than the same
information will still be there.
Further Information
If your child is a patient at GOSH and you would like to know more about his
or her medicines, please call in to the Pharmacy or telephone us on 020 7829
8680.
If your child is not a patient at GOSH, please contact the hospital looking
after your child or your family doctor (GP).
Ref: 2009F0103 © GOSH Trust January 2010
Compiled by the Pharmacy department in collaboration with the Child and Family Information Group
This information does not constitute health or medical advice and will not necessarily reflect treatment at other hospitals. If you have any questions, please ask your doctor. No liability can be taken as a result of using this information.
