Current Status of Useful Written Prescription Drug Information for Consumers: Public Meeting

Résumé

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing a public meeting to discuss the current status of the private sector's efforts to provide useful written prescription drug information to consumers. Public Law 104-180 adopted a goal that useful written information would be distributed to 75 percent of individuals receiving new prescriptions by the year 2000. An FDA-commissioned study of written information disseminated during 2001 with four widely-used prescription drugs reported the average "usefulness" of the information was only about 50 percent. The statute's goal for 2006 is that 95 percent of individuals receiving new prescriptions would receive useful written information. FDA is soliciting comments on and convening a public meeting to discuss what steps can be taken to improve the usefulness of such written prescription drug information in order to meet the year 2006 goal. FDA is posing four specific questions, and the agency is interested in responses to these questions and any other pertinent information stakeholders would like to share. Date and Time: The public meeting will be held on July 31, 2003, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration to speak at the meeting must be re