Hosted on medicaments.gouv.fr, this database marks the first step of the French Government's project to set up a public health information service.

Indeed, as recalled by Marisol Touraine, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, during the presentation, each French citizen must have the right to access easily to reliable information, concerning medicines, establishments or health professionals.

Under the steering of the general health direction, the public drugs database groups data from ANSM (French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety), HAS (French National Authority for Health) and Health Insurance (CNAMTS). It will provide information concerning pharmaceutical items commercialized on the French market, or products ceased to be marketed in the last two years.

For each medicine indications, appropriate precautions, contraindications, marketing authorizations, price, refund rates and information concerning utilization safety are presented. A set of icons will explain if the medicine has a prescription-only status, if is refunded by Health Insurance, and if is part of a generic group.

The base is designated for computer access, and a specific version for tablets and smartphones has been developed.

The base is accessible at the address medicaments.gouv.fr, with an area dedicated to the general public, with clear explanations of what is a medicine, how it is commercialized, which precautions must be taken, how to declare unwelcome side effects...

In the same area, site visitors could declare an unwelcome side effect, with the aim of improving professionals and patients descriptions.

For the first time, simple reference information is published in a single place, answering to citizens questions about drugs.

Read the full article (French language)