Purdue Pharma Led Collaborative Assessment Identifies Alarming Number of Errors in Commonly Used Online Drug Information Compendia

STAMFORD, Conn., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Purdue Pharma L.P., today announced the results from the company-led Collaborative Compendia Review Project (CCRP), a research study that highlights online drug information compendia (ODIC), although valuable and presumed to be correct and complete, may contain misinformation, potentially jeopardizing patient safety.¹

ODIC are useful tools that healthcare professionals (HCPs) and consumers use to educate themselves on pharmaceutical products. Five ODIC were included as part of this study: Medscape Reference, Lexicomp Online: Lexi-Drugs, Epocrates Online, Drugs.com and RxList. Results from the recent research study suggest that these online resources, although informative and easily accessible, may contain misinformation and potentially lead to risk for product misuse and patient harm.

The research study, "A Collaborative Assessment Among 11 Pharmaceutical Companies of Misinformation in Commonly Used Online Drug Information Compendia," evaluated the accuracy and completeness of drug summaries in select, commonly-used ODIC compared to FDA-approved Full Prescribing Information (FPI) across a wide spectrum of prescription drug products.

"This is an important study that highlights the need for HCPs and consumers to use multiple sources when seeking drug information, as there were a surprisingly large number of errors, including inaccuracies and outdated information, across various drug summaries in online drug information compendia," said Amarita S. Randhawa, lead study author, and Senior Manager of Medical Services at Purdue Pharma. "As ODIC use expands, it is crucial to ensure drug summaries are up-to-date, accurate and complete. Purdue Pharma has implemented an ongoing compendia review process, which served as the model for this collaborative initiative and is briefly outlined in the publication." 

The CCRP is the largest known study of its kind, based on the number of drug summaries evaluated and number of companies involved. Specialists from the Medical Information departments of 11 participating pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies systematically evaluated 270 drug summaries within the five ODIC for misinformation, between August 2014 and January 2015.

The median of the total number of errors identified across the 270 drug summaries within the five ODIC was 782. Dosage and Administration, Patient Education, and Warnings and Precautions were the categories with the greatest number of errors. The majority of errors were classified as incomplete, followed by inaccurate and omitted. Content-correction requests, supported by each product's FPI, were also proposed.

Given the misinformation identified in this study, HCPs and consumers should use multiple drug information (DI) resources to help inform clinical decisions. In addition to ODIC, useful DI resources may include the National Library of Medicine's DailyMed, Drugs@FDA and medical information departments within pharmaceutical companies that are comprised of healthcare professionals, who are readily-available to provide accurate, balanced, product-specific information.

Complete study results were published online in the most recent issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.  

About Purdue Pharma L.P.

Purdue Pharma L.P. and associated U.S. companies are privately-held pharmaceutical companies known for pioneering research in chronic pain and opioids with abuse deterrent properties. Purdue Pharma is engaged in the research, development, production, and distribution of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, as well as hospital products. Purdue Pharma is committed to advancing the care of patients with innovative, quality products that make a positive impact on healthcare — and on lives. Purdue Pharma's headquarters are located in Stamford, Conn. With Purdue Pharma's expertise in drug development, commercialization, and life-cycle management, the company is diversifying in high-need areas to expand beyond opioid-based pain treatments through strategic acquisitions and creative partnerships. For more information, please visit www.purduepharma.com or follow the company on Twitter.

Reference
1. Randhawa AS, et al. A Collaborative Assessment Among 11 Pharmaceutical Companies of Misinformation in Commonly Used Online Drug Information Compendia, Ann Pharmacother. 2016 Feb 25. http://aop.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/02/24/1060028016635196.full. 

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100921/NY67262

SOURCE Purdue Pharma L.P.

Related Links

http://www.purduepharma.com