The continuing challenge of providing drug information services to diminish the knowledge--practice gap in medical practice.

Information must be collected, evaluated and utilized to support every qualified activity. Medicine, with a written scientific tradition stretching back more than 2,000 years, is no exception. Here, we discuss a number of important items associated with the establishment of a drug information centre run by clinical pharmacologists and information pharmacists, serving a broad demand, mainly among clinical specialists. The working methods include a professional literature search, critical evaluation of the material, writing a structured answer, quality control, feedback to the inquirer and storage in a database which is publicly available. One can foresee even more complex systems wherein a number of active and specialized databases communicate to provide relevant advice and support at the point of care, supplying information on drug recommendations, reimbursement, environmental aspects, antimicrobial resistance, pharmacogenetics and adverse effects, and linked to a list of prescribed drugs for the individual patient. This will be possible in both rich and poor countries through the application of modern and developing information technology. However, research on the best and safest methods of such decision support systems will be needed to ensure that they really do improve the quality of drug prescribing and use.

Metformin for weight reduction in non-diabetic patients on antipsychotic drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Weight gain is a clinically important side effect of antipsychotic drug therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the antidiabetic drug metformin on antipsychotic-induced weight gain in non-diabetic patients. In a systematic literature review we identified 195 citations from which seven randomized, placebo-controlled studies (398 patients) were included in the final analysis. Studies in adults (n = 5) and in children (n = 2) were analysed separately. Compared with placebo, metformin treatment caused a significant body weight reduction in adult non-diabetic patients treated with atypical antipsychotics (4.8%, 95% CI 1.6 to 8.0) and in children (4.1%, 95% CI 2.2 to 6.0). There was evidence of substantial heterogeneity among studies, and when the analysis was restricted to patients with a manifest (>10%) body weight increase prior to randomisation metformin reduced weight by 7.5% (95% CI 2.9 to 12.0). The effect was larger in Asians (7.8%, 95% CI 4.4 to 11.2) than in Hispanics (2.0%, 95% CI 0.7 to 3.3). In conclusion, metformin has a pronounced weight-reducing effect in antipsychotic-treated patients, especially in those with a manifest weight gain. Although direct comparisons are lacking, the observed effect on body weight compares favourably with the effect of sibutramine and orlistat, approved for weight reduction. However, metformin is not approved for use in non-diabetic patients and it is still not generally advisable to recommend metformin to counteract antipsychotic-induced weight gain.