The purpose of pharmaceutical products is to help users and make their lives easier. However, it is important to keep in mind that the products are effective only when used correctly. For example, doses of the wrong size, or doses taken too frequently or infrequently, have a negative impact on the efficacy of the medicine and the user’s health.
Many consumers receive information about the correct use of pharmaceutical products from healthcare professionals such as pharmacists, doctors and nurses. Healthcare professionals must, therefore, be able to answer even the most difficult questions consumers may have. It is also important that the consumer can find out more about the medicine on their own. For this reason, we seek to ensure in many ways that we communicate about our products appropriately, extensively and clearly to consumers and professionals.
The summary of product characteristics helps professionals and consumers
All of Orion’s pharmaceutical packages come with a summary of product characteristics. It is an official document with information about what research has shown about the product. The summary of product characteristics provides healthcare professionals and consumers with information about how to use the medicine as safely and effectively as possible.
A summary of product characteristics is always based on facts and data, which is why its creation is a long process. When developing a new medicine, we first study it carefully during the drug development process lasting for around 12–15 years. All the information collected during the development process eventually ends up in the summary of product characteristics in a concise form.
Before a product is made available on the market, all the data collected during the drug development process, as well as the summary of product characteristics, are evaluated carefully by the authorities. They assess the positive and negative impacts of the product and ensure that it is sufficiently beneficial for patients. When a medicine has been approved for the market and launched, all the materials related to the medicine must be consistent with the summary of product characteristics and the data that has been published.
Training and contacts
Healthcare professionals serve as our interpreters towards the customer. It is therefore important that they have the most relevant information about our products. Our sales representatives and other experts provide healthcare professionals with a great deal of training related to the use of our products. Healthcare professionals can then transfer this information on to consumers.
We also provide healthcare professionals with information leaflets, dosage guides and other materials about how medicines work. These are all based on the summary of product characteristics but provide information in a more concise and user-friendly manner.
We also provide product information and guidance for consumers via a helpline. We are continuously developing our digital channels to ensure that consumers have easy access to up-to-date information about our products.
