A high-quality Medical Information service is an investment in patients and the healthcare system, not a commodity.

The versatility of Medical Information should not be perceived as a commodity but as an essential component and value add to the healthcare system. In addition to responding to and documenting enquires in compliance with regulatory and legal demands, the Medical Information team also identify and capture adverse events and product quality complaints relating to pharmaceutical products, vaccines and devices.

Some recent feedback shows the impact of these services and the diversity of the information provided:

“Thank you for answering all my questions about my medication – when to take it, how to space my doses, and whether to take it with or without food. I can now start taking this medication with peace of mind.”

Patient Comment

“We appreciate your manufacturing team’s prompt assessment of the stability of our stock that was affected by a temperature excursion. Having a statement on hand affirming that this particular breach was unlikely to impact the quality of the affected product will allow us to administer this stock to future patients with confidence. Now we know to call Medical Information for stability data if we have future temperature excursions involving our refrigerated products.“

  Hospital pharmacist statement

Despite being readily accessible to patients, family members, carers and health care professionals, Medical Information remains an underutilised resource. Primarily, Medical Information is a customer-facing role that provides up-to-date, accurate and non-promotional information pertaining to medical devices, vaccines and pharmaceutical products in response to unsolicited enquiries from healthcare professionals and patients. This information can assist doctors and pharmacists in clinical decision making, and aid patients’ understanding the medication they are taking.

This documentation is critical for monitoring the safety of therapeutic goods and is therefore subjected to routine audits performed by health authorities, business partners, and global affiliates. Audit findings ensure the identification of any safety concerns that require regulatory action, which can include changes to product labelling, the addition of warnings, precautions and adverse events to the Product Information and Consumer Medicines Information leaflets, and in extreme cases, product recall.

Depending on the life cycle of pharmaceutical products, vaccines and devices, Medical Information may also assist with clinical trial recruitment, patient access programs and commercialisation of pipeline therapeutics.  Medical Information service centres are staffed with technical experts that in addition to answering enquiries, provide specialised services that ensure the accessibility, safety, and quality of therapeutic goods in the marketplace.

For nearly 20 years, across Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific, companies have trusted Commercial Eyes to manage their Medical Information service needs. Drawing on experience that comes from dealing with over half a million enquiries, the benefits to both the quality of the service and the cost to deliver this function overall are clear.