Materials of the Medicines Information Network

Instructions for the safe use of medicines guide, summaries of the guide and their language versions

“Instructions for the safe use of medicines” is a guide for users on how to safely use medicines and how to use pharmacy services. The first part of the guide provides concrete guidance, for example on monitoring the success of medicinal treatment, and the second part describes topics such as of how medicines are reimbursed. Three summaries of the guide have been prepared and translated into several languages.

Criteria for high-quality medicines information directed at patients (PDF) (26.5.2023)

The criteria describe the view of the Medicines Information Network on what high-quality medicines information is like. The criteria are intended for those who provide information that is targeted at patients. International pharmaceutical information assessment tools have been utilised in the preparation of the criteria (Ryhänen 2013).

Checklist for updating medication information – to support health care professionals (16 March 2023)

The checklist for updating medication information is intended as a tool for health care professionals. It can be used at any time when it is necessary to investigate medication information, but especially when a patient arrives at a health care unit and is discharged or transferred to further treatment.

Recommendations aim to create equality between professional groups and jobs. There is a collection of Finnish-language websites that support official care instructions and provide reliable information on medicines; sites that have been found to be useful in the practical work of health care professionals.  Some of the sites are also available in Swedish. The collection does not include all possible information that is available but contains information that can be considered a minimum requirement for the good work of a health care professional. The aim is that employers ensure access to these websites (including ones that are behind a paywall) and offer training for using these sites. 

• Key sources of medicines information and related tools for physicians (PDF, in Finnish)
• Key sources of medicines information and related tools for nurses (PDF, in Finnish)
• Key sources of medicines information and related tools for hospital pharmacy professionals (PDF, in Finnish)
• Key sources of medicines information and related tools for pharmaceutical staff (PDF, in Finnish

The checklist and its appendices aim to encourage researchers to develop close long-term cooperation with patient organisations and to provide concrete tips on the stages of research where the patient perspective should be taken into account. The aim is to strengthen patient engagement in studies on rational pharmacotherapy, medicines information and medication safety to increase the impact of this research.

• Patient participation checklist for researchers (PDF)
• How I can as a researcher develop cooperation with patient organisations (PNG)
• Why rational pharmacotherapy researchers should cooperate with patient organisations (PNG)
• Patient participation checklist for researchers – text versions of appendix images 1 and 2 

Training health care professionals for pharmacotherapy that centres around medicine users (PDF, in Finnish)

Recommendation for basic training related to medicines information and advice. The recommendation describes development proposals for the training on medicines information and advice for physicians, pharmacists, nurses and practical nurses. The recommendation does not comment on the statutory duties of health care professionals.

Description of the role of health care professionals and a chronically ill patient in the medicinal treatment process (PDF, in Finnish and Swedish)

A streamlined, multiprofessional pharmacotherapy process where the role of a person taking medicines for a long-term illness is also identified and recognised is a prerequisite for the implementation of good medication and patient safety and rational pharmacotherapy.

Summary of the models for cooperation between pharmacies and other health care services currently in use or previously tried out (PDF, in Finnish)

The summary describes the local models for cooperation between private pharmacies and other health care services currently in use or previously tried out. The aim of the described cooperation models is to present practices and operating methods in medicines information activities in order to achieve the objectives of pharmacotherapy and to increase cooperation between private pharmacies and other health care units in the monitoring of long-term patient care.

Effectiveness of medicines advice and written medicines information directed at patients: Review (PDF, Abstract in English)

Information on medicines and pharmacotherapy is available to patients from different sources and in different ways. To create a basis for the development of medicines advice and written medicines information, there needs to be research data on the impacts and effectiveness of the information on medicines that is available in various ways. This literature review examined the evidence available on the effectiveness of medicines advice and written medicines information for patients.