To the Editor: The discussion regarding increased currency and updating of prescription drug information (product information, PI)1 provides on opportunity for insightful and valuable debate. MIMS (a compilation of PI)2 supports any initiatives that result in PI and consumer medicine information (CMI) being updated more regularly, and I would like to clarify MIMS’ specific role in the process.

PI is an invaluable information source, but not the only source. Accordingly, MIMS was never intended to be used as a stand-alone resource, without appropriate clinical experience and reference to other resources, where warranted. Although this was not mentioned in Stockigt’s article,1 it is clearly stated on the Foreword page of MIMS annual.2

Stockigt, in various comments he made to the media, observed that his article reviewed only one class of drugs1 — thyroid medication — which has been notable for its lack of new products or information in recent years. Thus, his findings cannot be extrapolated across the entire pharmaceutical database. Dowden’s editorial,3 however, appears to suggest that outdated PI is common. This is an assertion with which MIMS must strongly disagree.

One measure of the currency of a medicine information database is the frequency and number of updates. MIMS currently publishes more than 100 changes to PI every month, and has the processes and people in place to make an even greater number of changes more frequently should this information become available. However, ultimately the responsibility for updating PI lies with the pharmaceutical industry, and all changes must be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration; only then can PI be disseminated by MIMS.

MIMS believes that PI, while a valuable resource, is not a stand-alone resource. This is supported by the fact that the entire range of MIMS electronic decision-support modules, such as MIMS DrugAlert (drug–drug interactions) and MIMS AllergyAlert (drug–allergy warnings), are, in fact, derived from reviews of the primary international literature. MIMS welcomes the opportunity to discuss this perspective.