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The electronic medicines compendium (emc) contains up‐to‐date, easily accessible information about medicines licensed for use in the UK and can be found at (www.medicines.org.uk/emc). The emc has more than 14,000 documents, all of which have been checked and approved by either the UK or European government agencies which license medicines. These agencies are the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The emc is updated continually and you are able to browse for medicines, or active ingredients using the A – Z buttons. The emc contains regulated and approved information on medicines available in the UK including:

1 Summaries of Product Characteristics (known as SPCs or SmPCs): A SmPC informs healthcare professionals how to prescribe and use a medicine correctly. A SmPC is based on clinical trials that a pharmaceutical company has carried out and gives information about dose, use and possible side effects. A SmPC is always written in a standard format.

2 Patient Information Leaflets (PILs, Package Leaflets or PLs): A PIL is the leaflet that is included in the pack with any medicine. The PIL is a summary of the SmPC and is written for patients.

3 Risk Minimisation Materials (RMMs): Risk Minimisation Materials are resources for healthcare professionals that aim to optimise the safe and effective use of a medicine. RMMs can come in a number of forms, such as educational programmes, prescribing or dispensing guides, patient brochures or alert cards.

4 Safety Alerts: Safety alerts are issued by the medicine healthcare regulatory agency and/or marketing authorisation holder and contain important public health messages or safety critical information about a medicine.

5 Product Information: This is any additional information about a product. It may include important information such change of packaging or issues related to stock levels. (Electronic Medicines Compendium/Datapharm Ltd.)

Within the emc there are also audio and video resources that provide additional information in a user‐friendly way, promoting the safe and effective use of a medicine. For example, a video clip may demonstrate how to administer a certain medicine correctly.