Patients must have better access to high quality information on prescription drugs in the future, MEPs decided today. The European Parliament strives for more freedom for patients who want to be informed about prescription-only drugs.

The basic pillar of the legislation is to ensure the availability of objective, reliable and non-promotional information on medicines to protect patients’ health care.

The European Parliament’s position adopted today brings some significant impovements to the initial Commission’s proposal, notably by setting a clearer framework for the provision of information to patients on medicinal products. Patients have a right to information, but we need to ensure that this information is understandable, transparent and objective, while keeping in mind that medicines are not simple consumer goods.

This is the kind of issue that our Liberal Democrat representatives are fighting for in Europe and reflect changes which can’t really be done by national governments as the internet crosses borders.