Transitioning to electronic product information (ePI)
Providing people with accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive information about their medicines is critical, and digital solutions can overcome the shortcomings of traditional paper-based information
Context
Paper-based medicine information is often considered unclear and inaccessible, and it is poorly suited to meet the needs of many people. Transitioning to electronic product information (ePI) offers the opportunity to make medicine information more accessible and tailored to the needs of each person.
Enhanced forms of ePI can contain videos, filters and other tools to make the information easier to digest, as well as more personalised and accurate. When fully integrated into other digital platforms, ePI has the potential to overcome many of the historical limitations to information on medicines.
The development of paper-based product information is costly and has a high carbon footprint. The information needs to be reprinted every time there is a product update and must often be available in multiple languages, culminating in a significant use of water and paper. Transitioning to a digital-first solution would bypass this resource use, improving efficiency in medicine supply chains. This would translate into cost savings as well as benefits for individuals and the environment.
As ePI evolves, it will be essential to engage a range of stakeholders across different sectors – including patient representatives and people at risk of digital exclusion – in its development. This will be crucial to ensure that everyone – regardless of ability, digital literacy or socioeconomic position – can fully benefit. Close collaboration between developers of ePI, regulatory bodies, governments, healthcare professionals and patient organisations will also be key to ensuring an efficient and inclusive transition to ePI.
What we’ve achieved
HPP conducted extensive desk research, a literature review, and interviews with experts from a range of sectors, including digital technology and patient representatives, to develop a comprehensive policy narrative on ePI. The report outlines the potential benefits of ePI for patients, healthcare professionals and health systems, as well as key considerations to ensure a transition to ePI is equitable.
The launch of the report will be followed by a webinar, ‘Securing a more sustainable and accessible future with digitalised information about medicines’. This event will bring together cross-disciplinary leaders to discuss the potential of ePI in an increasingly digitalised world. Speakers will discuss the role of ePI in making medicine information more accessible and personalised for people who take medication, as well as in contributing to more efficient and environmentally sustainable health systems.
Key partners and stakeholders
We would like to thank the following experts who contributed their insights through interviews and reviews:
- Dr Emanuele Capobianco, Chief Impact & Strategy Officer, WHO Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland
- Christina Fasser, patient advocate; Former President, Retina International, Mollis, Switzerland
- Dr Joseph Lorenzo Hall, Distinguished Technologist, Strong Internet, The Internet Society, Washington DC, US
- Dipak Kalra, President, European Institute for Innovation through Health Data, Gent, Belgium
- Anne Moen, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo; Coordinator, Gravitate Health, Oslo, Norway
- Made Wikandana, Equity Fellow, Equity Initiative; disability advocate, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Dr Petra Wilson, Managing Director, Health Connect Partners, UK
Project funding
This report was initiated and funded by AstraZeneca. HPP led the project management, desk research, literature review, stakeholder interviews and drafting. The report was developed in consultation with expert stakeholders, who reviewed the drafts; they were not paid for their time. AstraZeneca reviewed the content of the report for accuracy, but editorial control remained with HPP.