Leeds research on improving medicines information for patients to be implemented across Europe

Prof Theo Raynor leads collaboration with Dutch Health Research Institute.

Research findings on medicines information, funded by the European Commission, will be implemented across Europe in collaboration with the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This was announced at the Drug Information Association Euro Conference in Glasgow recently.

The work, led at Leeds by the School’s Professor Theo Raynor, in collaboration with the Dutch Health Research Institute at Utrecht, has the potential for far reaching benefits for patients and the public.

Moves will be taken to improve the patient leaflet inside every medicine pack - to make them easier to understand. Guidelines will be revised to ensure improvements in content and layout. In particular, the input from patients and the public in testing medicine leaflets will be increased.

The report also recommends further research – building on that already undertaken at Leeds – on the addition of a ‘Key Information’ section to patient leaflets.

Professor Raynor has been conducting research into consumer medicines information in the School of Healthcare for many years – influencing policy in the UK, Europe and internationally. His spin-out company, Luto Research, was formed in 2004, and has become one of the most highly regarded companies in Europe which develop, refine and test health information materials www.luto.co.uk