The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently engaged the services of mpconsulting to provide advice to the TGA on the most appropriate means for improving consumer and professional access to web based copies of up-to-date Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) and Product Information (PI) documents.

Following an initial exploration of some of the issues, mpconsulting has prepared an Initial Discussion Paper to provide a basis for scoping further discussions with stakeholders. The Initial Discussion Paper:

• provides background information about the means by which the TGA currently regulates CMI and PI documents;
• provides summary information about some of the ways in which consumers and professionals currently access up-to-date CMI and PI documents;
• identifies some of the concerns raised with the TGA regarding access to up-to-date CMI and PI documents; and
• requests information on current mechanisms of information dissemination.

It should be noted that this Initial Discussion Paper is a scoping study only, one of the purposes of which is to facilitate better identification of key stakeholders and existing mechanisms for providing consumers and health professionals with access to up-to-date CMI and PI documents. In addition we are keen hear the views of stakeholders regarding whether the TGA should have an increased role in either strengthening existing web-based CMI and PI services or providing additional routes by which people can access CMI and PI documents electronically and to receive early feedback from stakeholders about possible options including those raised in this scoping paper.

How to access a pdf document

Improving access to prescription medicines information (pdf,102kb)