Makkonen K
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Int J Health Serv. 1993;23(1):173-83. doi: 10.2190/2FWA-1RRY-VRCW-4PML.
Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) are a popular method of contraception worldwide. However, some serious problems have been associated with them. Finland has developed and now manufactures and exports IUDs. Therefore, drug control and the quality of drug information existing in Finland are significant for other countries, as well. This study analyzes the information in the Finnish commercial drug catalog on copper-releasing IUDs and compares it with the scientific literature, the instructions from the licensing authority, and material in its U.S. counterpart, during the last two decades. The results indicate that the distribution of scientific knowledge to the drug catalogs has often been slow. In the early 1980s Finnish manufacturers did not give any practical information on their products, and then and later the Finnish catalog was less comprehensive than the U.S. catalog. The variations in the control system in different nations were reflected in the contents of the Finnish catalog. For practitioners, drug catalogs are important sources of medical information. The results of this study demonstrate (1) that more attention should be paid to the contents of these catalogs, and (2) the continuous need for up-to-date, unbiased drug information.
宫内节育器（IUDs）是全球流行的避孕方法。然而，它们也存在一些严重问题。芬兰已研发出宫内节育器，目前进行生产并出口。因此，芬兰的药品监管及现有药品信息质量对其他国家也很重要。本研究分析了芬兰商业药品目录中有关含铜宫内节育器的信息，并在过去二十年中将其与科学文献、许可机构的说明以及美国同类资料进行比较。结果表明，科学知识传播到药品目录的速度往往较慢。20世纪80年代初，芬兰制造商未提供有关其产品的任何实用信息，之后芬兰的目录也不如美国目录全面。不同国家监管系统的差异反映在芬兰目录的内容中。对从业者而言，药品目录是重要的医学信息来源。本研究结果表明：（1）应更加关注这些目录的内容；（2）持续需要最新、无偏见的药品信息。
