The daily schedules of healthcare professionals (HCPs) are busy, leaving little time to spend searching for information on medicines. Like all areas of modern life, HCPs are turning to online platforms for quick and easy access to information on the medicine products that they prescribe. Whether checking dosing guidelines or medicine interactions, online searching is indispensable for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. This digitalization of information on medicines has changed considerably in the last 15 years, and there are many challenges in ensuring that the information that HCPs locate is reliable, accurate, and up to date. 

While the wealth of different touchpoints between HCPs and pharmaceutical products has many benefits, it can also create challenges for HCPs to obtain reliable information. Overcoming these hurdles requires collaboration across the pharma industry, which will be critical to providing pragmatic and evidence-based information about medicine products. 

There are enormous challenges related to the information available on any given medicine. Online search engines provide limitless results with varying reliability. This may leave HCPs unsure of which sources they can trust. Smaller or lesser-known websites might not undergo in-depth review processes, meaning data may be outdated or inaccurate. This can bring risks to the quality of patient care that a HCP accessing that information can provide, as an incorrect fact about a medicine’s adverse effects or dosing recommendations can lead to serious consequences. The ease with which misinformation can spread online also adds an additional layer of complexity. 

The lack of consistency between online sources is also an issue. HCPs may encounter conflicting medicine dosages, side effect profiles, and contraindications across websites. Even reputable websites, such as government health agencies or large medical organisations, might not update content frequently enough to reflect the most recent clinical guideline changes or newly approved medicines. This can lead to prescribing decisions being made based on outdated information. The nature of the pharmaceutical sector and its frequent updates and new product introductions make this even more of a challenge. Consequently, understanding exactly how and where HCPs look for their information has never been more important. 

Reputable sources of product information are working to ensure that HCPs can access trustworthy information on licensed medicines. These include the Drug Information Database in the US, the European Medical Information Gateway, and the Electronic Medicines Compendium (emc) in the UK. 

Research gathered by the emc on HCPs has revealed that the majority (79%) rely on search engines such as Google for scientific content and prefer to consume content on demand in their own time. 82% of HCPs also consider global, independent, general medical websites critical sources of scientific content. 

As for the type of information HCPs are searching for, an analysis of the search terms entered revealed that the top five search categories accounted for over 60% of all searches. These included questions about storage and product stability, undesirable effects, administration methods, dosing and special populations’ needs. This information is covered in products’ scientific response documents (SRDs).

Pharma companies’ medical information teams will want to understand whether their SRDs can answer these questions. The insight gained from this research offers a check sheet to evaluate where gaps exist and opportunities to improve content. By taking this approach, pharma companies can help to increase the rate of successful searches. Improving digital platforms will also enable the industry to share accurate and current information with HCPs in a more transparent and accessible way.

There are several strategies that pharma companies can use to improve the searchability of their product information. The rate of successful searches can be increased by providing smaller, specific answers and incorporating all medical abbreviations to identify a condition. Alternate phrases for the same medical problem, such as cardiac arrest and heart attack, grammatical variations of words, and regional differences can all enhance searchability. Proactively monitoring search logs and refining content accordingly will need to be an ongoing strategy. A more structured content management approach can also significantly improve search success rates. 

Enhancing the accessibility of trustworthy medicines information and the availability of SRDs while also improving search technologies will ensure HCPs can quickly obtain accurate answers to their specific questions. 

Online medicines information portals offer a vital touchpoint between HCPs and the pharma industry. With new products coming into the market daily and existing products subject to ongoing updates, finding comprehensive information on a medicine in one place can be challenging. By addressing the gaps in the most highly sought-after questions on medicines, pharma companies can improve their engagement with HCPs and support them in making the best patient treatment decisions.

Photo: LeoWolfert, Getty Images

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