[Can environmental impact be considered as a dimension of the proper use of medicines? From the 5th Forum of the Association for the Proper Use of Medicines]. / L'impact environnemental peut-il être considéré comme une dimension du bon usage des médicaments? Retour sur le 5ème Forum de l'Association Bon Usage du Médicament.

Through their footprint throughout their life cycle, from production to use, medicines have a significant impact on the environment. Reducing this impact is rarely considered from the perspective of the choices that healthcare professionals might have to make when prescribing or dispensing medicines. Should we consider environmental impact, alongside effectiveness and tolerance, one of the dimensions of the proper use of medicines? To address this question, the 5th Forum of the Association for the Proper Use of Medicines highlighted the main sources of pharmaceutical pollution: the carbon footprint linked to production, greenhouse gas emissions, the impact of residues on water and waste from packaging. While the eco-design of medicines should make it possible to limit their environmental impact upstream, there are still few initiatives aimed at their use. The Swedish "Hazard Score" assessment tool, which classifies compounds according to their potential to pollute the aquatic environment, was presented as a tool for guiding prescription choices. Through the exchanges between the various stakeholders (public authorities, doctors, pharmacists, manufacturers, patients) during this forum, recommendations were drawn up both on scientific and ethical grounds.

Global sale of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems in community pharmacies.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the proportion of countries/territories that allow sales of tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in community pharmacies. METHODS: International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) member organisations were contacted by email and asked to respond to a two-item survey assessing whether their country/territory allowed sales of (a) tobacco products and (b) ENDS in community pharmacies. RESULTS: Of 95 countries/territories contacted, responses were received from 60 (63.2%). Seven countries (11.7%) reported that tobacco products were sold in community pharmacies, and 11 countries (18.3%) reported that ENDS were sold in community pharmacies. CONCLUSIONS: Among the FIP member organisations, there are few countries that allow the sale of tobacco products and ENDS in community pharmacies, with ENDS being more likely than tobacco products to be sold.

How Many Words Does a Picture Really Tell? Cross-sectional Descriptive Study of Pictogram Evaluation by Youth.

BACKGROUND: Communicating health-related instructions with pictograms is useful, but such graphics can be interpreted in different ways. It is crucial to understand which pictogram components are best for accurate communication. OBJECTIVES: To catalogue pictograms used to label drugs in clinical practice; to identify the common graphic elements for defined categories of pictograms, by performing a semiotic analysis (studying how signs are perceived and how they should be designed); to identify the key graphic elements common to pictograms preferred by users; and to develop suggestions for future pictogram design on the basis of users' input. METHODS: Literature and Internet searches were performed to identify pictograms and pictogram categories. A call for pictograms was also circulated through the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Youth at a Canadian pediatric hospital were asked to rate pictograms (including storyboards and prescription labels generated by FIP pictogram software) in terms of how best they represented their intended meanings. Pictograms for which at least 80% of participants "somewhat agreed", "agreed", or "strongly agreed" that the graphic conveyed the intended meaning were designated as "preferred" and were selected for analysis. Elements appearing in at least 50% of these preferred pictograms were highlighted as key graphic elements for design of future pictograms. RESULTS: In total, 21 categories were identified for pictograms used in clinical practice, and a total of 204 pictograms were analyzed. Eighty-six participants took part in the survey. For each pictogram category, certain elements were identified as "preferred" and as "key graphic elements", whereas other elements met neither designation. For all 21 pictogram categories, at least 80% of survey respondents agreed that the FIP storyboard conveyed the intended meaning. CONCLUSIONS: Certain key, preferred graphic elements are required for pharmaceutical pictograms to convey their intended meaning. The overlap between preferred and key pictogram elements indicates that both must be considered in development of future pictograms. Redesign of existing pictograms with consideration of the best semiotic elements is in progress.

CONTEXTE: La communication des instructions concernant la santé à l'aide de pictogrammes est utile, mais ces graphiques peuvent être interprétés de différentes façons. Il est crucial de connaître quels éléments de ces pictogrammes sont les plus adéquats pour permettre une communication précise. OBJECTIFS: Répertorier les pictogrammes utilisés pour étiqueter les médicaments en pratique clinique; déterminer les éléments graphiques courants pour chaque catégorie de pictogrammes, en effectuant une analyse sémiotique (étude de la perception des signes et de leur représentation graphique); définir les éléments graphiques clés communs aux pictogrammes préférés des usagers; et formuler des suggestions pour la conception de futurs pictogrammes en tenant compte des commentaires des usagers. MÉTHODES: Une recherche bibliographique et une recherche dans Internet ont été menées pour déterminer les pictogrammes et les catégories de pictogrammes. Une demande de soumission de pictogrammes a aussi été diffusée par l'entremise de la Fédération internationale pharmaceutique (FIP). Dans un hôpital pour enfants du Canada, on a demandé à des jeunes d'évaluer les pictogrammes (y compris des étiquettes de médicaments prescrits et des scénarios illustrés générés par le logiciel de pictogrammes de la FIP) quant à l'exactitude de leur représentation du message qu'on voulait livrer. Les pictogrammes pour lesquels au moins 80 % des participants étaient « plutôt d'accord ¼, « d'accord ¼ ou « tout à fait d'accord ¼ que le graphique livrait le message voulu ont été jugés comme étant « préférés ¼ et retenus aux fins d'analyse. Les éléments apparaissant dans au moins 50% des pictogrammes préférés ont été sélectionnés comme éléments graphiques clés pour la conception de futurs pictogrammes. RÉSULTATS: En tout, 21 catégories de pictogrammes utilisés dans la pratique clinique ont été déterminées, 204 pictogrammes ont été analysés et 86 participants ont répondu au sondage. Pour chaque catégorie de pictogrammes, certains éléments ont été définis comme étant « préférés ¼ et comme des « éléments graphiques clés ¼, alors que d'autres éléments n'ont satisfait ni l'une ni l'autre de ces désignations. Pour les pictogrammes de l'ensemble des 21 catégories, au moins 80 % des répondants ont affirmé que le scénario illustré généré par le logiciel de la FIP communiquait le message qu'on voulait livrer. CONCLUSIONS: Certains éléments graphiques clés et préférés sont requis afin que les pictogrammes pharmaceutiques communiquent le message qu'on veut livrer. Le chevauchement entre les éléments graphiques préférés et les éléments graphiques clés indiquent que les deux doivent être pris en compte dans la création de futurs pictogrammes. La reconception des pictogrammes existants qui tient compte des meilleurs éléments sémiotiques est en cours. [Traduction par l'éditeur].

Impact of the pharmaceutical sciences on health care: a reflection over the past 50 years.

During the last century, particularly the latter half, spectacular progress has been made in improving the health and longevity of people. The reasons are many, but the development of medicines has played a critical role. This report documents and reflects on the impressive contribution that those working in the pharmaceutical sciences have made to healthcare over the past 50 years. It is divided into six sections (drug discovery; absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion; pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; drug formulation; drug regulation; and drug utilization), each describing key contributions that have been made in the progression of medicines, from conception to use. A common thread throughout is the application of translational science to the improvement of drug discovery, development, and therapeutic application. Each section has been coordinated by a leading scientist who was asked, after consulting widely with many colleagues across the globe, to identify "The five most influential ideas/concepts/developments introduced by 'pharmaceutical scientists' (in their field) over the past 50 years?" Although one cannot predict where the important breakthroughs will come in the future to meet the unmet medical needs, the evidence presented in this report should leave no doubt that those engaged in the pharmaceutical sciences will continue to make their contributions heavily felt.

The pharmaceutical sciences in 2020: report of a conference organized by the board of pharmaceutical sciences of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

The Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has developed a view on the future of pharmaceutical sciences in 2020. This followed an international conference with invited participants from various fields (academicians, scientists, regulators, industrialists, venture capitalists) who shared their views on the forces that might determine how the pharmaceutical sciences will look in 2020. The commentary here provides a summary of major research activities that will drive drug discovery and development, enabling technologies for pharmaceutical sciences, paradigm shifts in drug discovery, development and regulations, and changes in education to meet the demands of academia, industry and regulatory institutions for pharmaceutical sciences in 2020.

The pharmaceutical sciences in 2020--report of a conference organized by the Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).

In accordance with its missions, the Board of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPS) of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has developed a view on the future of pharmaceutical sciences in 2020. This followed an international conference with invited participants from various fields (scientists, academicians, regulators, industrialists, venture capitalists...) who shared their views on the forces that might determine how the pharmaceutical sciences will look in 2020. The participants of the conference identified major research activities which will drive drug discovery and development, the enabling technologies, as well as likely paradigm shifts in drug discovery, development, regulation and usage. In addition, they discussed the translation of these changes into the education of pharmaceutical scientists and the potential role of FIP. The outcome of this exercise could serve as a starting point for a scenario analysis of the future of pharmaceutical sciences and the challenges that await the pharmaceutical scientist.