Non-profit, non-governmental organisation providing independent information on drugs to health professionals and promoting Rational Prescribing.

Funded by the Belgian Federal Agency for Drugs and Health Products (AFMPS/FAGG)

History: founded in 1974 by the Belgian Professors of Pharmacology and headed during 30 years by Prof. M. Bogaert

Major Strenghts: COMBINATION OF Information Education Warnings (pharmacovigilance) Service (prescription modalities, availability…) PERCEIVED AS RELIABLE & INDEPENDENT BY HEALTH WORKERS

Mission Statement / Structure / History

The Belgian Centre for Pharmacotherapeutical Information (BCFI/CBIP):

Independent drug information for Belgian health professionnals

Chief Editors: Prof. T. Christiaens, Dr. G. De Loof , Prof. J.M. Maloteaux.

.

First edition of Repertorium (1979) and edition 2007

CBIP/BCFI promotes Rational Prescribing

Numerous definitions for rational prescribing have been suggested, but essentially it is a balancing act

that centres around four major components:

-Maximising effectiveness

-Minimising risk

-Minimising cost

-Respecting patient choice.

Barber N. What constitutes good prescribing? BMJ 1995;310:923-5

Written Information

Répertoire Commenté des Médicaments/

Gecommentarieerd Geneesmiddelenrepertorium •General Informations on prescribing, intoxications, interactions and side-effects, specific problem situations (children,

pregnancy) …

•All drugs on the Belgian market classified with practical data (dosages, forms) and some comments

Folia Pharmacotherapeutica • Recent Informations

• Thematic Articles

• « Goed om te Weten »/ « Bon à savoir »: recent information

•News from the pharmacovigilance (in collaboration with BCGH/ CBPH)

Transparantiefiches/ Fiches de transparence • Overview of all available evidence on drug treatment of a specific clinical problem

•Comparison of prices and side effects

WEBSITE

www.cbip.be (French) OR www.bcfi.be (Dutch)

Independent Pharmacotherapeutic Information

(Journal-Club function)

• « Pivotal trials »

• Critical appraisals, reviews on clinical topics

•Trial methodology

Information on new drugs •Information on new drug classes and mechanisms

•Information about « me-too ’s» and pseudo-innovations

•Information about efficacy (with emphasis on absolute risk reductions,

NNT’s) but also on side effects

•Positioning amongst existing therapeutic possibilities (comparative efficacy

and security and prices)

Target group

All documents are sent free of charge to

43.000 physicians,

16.000 pharmacists, 8.000 dentists,

16.000 students.

>2000 Repertories sent to European and

African partners and health workers

The website is open to all

B.C.F.I./C.B.I.P. Eurostation,bloc II, 8th floor, 40 Place Victor Horta, PB 40, 1160 Brussels, Belgium

mail: Redaction@Cbip.be OR redactie@bcfi.be

Publications of BCFI/CBIP

•Peer-Reviewed top-journals (N. Engl. J. Med.; Lancet; BMJ; …) and Journal-Clubs (Minerva, ACPJC,...)

•Registration authority reports (EMEA)

•Prescrire, Drug &Therapeutics Bulletin…(International Society of Drug Bulletins)

•Pharmacovigilance Agencies: Belgian Centre of Pharmacovigilance, EMEA, FDA, Lareb

•Health Technology Assessment Organisations (KCE, NICE, HAS...), Cochrane Collaboration

•Belgian expert network

Information sources:

Veterinary Repertory

All the “traditional” publications

+ FOLIA EXPRESS: e-mail alerts for major news

Price comparisons within

drug classes

Planned Initiatives:

•Adapt information in regard to DCI prescribing and electronic prescribing

•Provide information aimed specifically at the public (in collaboration with FAGG/AFMPS)

•Set up a system for e-learning

“Yellow Card”:ADR

reporting form (in collaboration with

pharmacovigilance

BCGH/ CBPH)