NACDS proposes 'one-document solution' for medication info to the FDA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Obama administration recently called on the public for ideas to streamline federal regulations. In response, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores has sent its suggestion to the Food and Drug Administration.

In a letter submitted to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Monday, NACDS told the agency that it should focus on streamlining patient medication information, or PMI. Currently, the FDA requires pharmacies to provide patients with several different types of information on prescription medications, including medication guides, patient package inserts and consumer medication information, NACDS said. Often, the information is penned by several authors and therefore may be too complex for patients to comprehend.

To mitigate this, NACDS suggested that the FDA implement a "one-document solution," which would "provide patients with useful and focused information on their prescription medications and allow pharmacies to advise and counsel patients on adhering to prescription medication," the organization wrote.

"We urge the FDA to elevate the transition from medication guides, patient package inserts and other consumer medication information to the 'one-document solution' PMI to be among the FDA’s highest priorities,” NACDS said.

NACDS first proposed a "one-document solution" for PMI in 2007.