Web Initiative Highlights Drug Labels

Medical content vendor PDR Network and medical malpractice insurer The Doctors Company have launched a national medication safety program to improve physician awareness of changing drug labels.

More than one-quarter of drugs have clinically relevant changes to their Food and Drug Administration-approved labels each year, says Edward Fotsch, M.D., CEO at PDR Network, which distributes drug labeling information, FDA-issued product safety alerts and the Physicians' Desk Reference.

Now, the "Know the Label" program is an online service offering free continuing medical education credits to prescribers for reading full-FDA approved labeling for the most commonly prescribed drugs. The service is being delivered via the Web sites of PDR Network, The Doctors Company and other liability carriers that join the program. The CME services also will be available via the electronic health records products of participating vendors, including athenahealth Inc. and e-MDs Inc.

More information is available at pdr.net and thedoctors.com.

--Joseph Goedert