SmartPrescribe.org

Most clinicians would like some ideas for improving their patients' experience with prescription drugs. If you are dismayed by the confusing pharmaceutical messages bombarding clinicians and consumers, let SmartPrescribe aid you in sorting through the claims.

SmartPrescribe is an online educational curriculum designed to help you optimize your prescribing. Through a series of convenient lessons developed by academic, noncommercial experts, you can hone your ability to assess the drug-related information that you receive in your practice. SmartPrescribe fits easily into your busy schedule and allows you to complete the lessons at your own pace.

Upon finishing the curriculum, you will be better positioned to evaluate information from multiple sources to make treatment decisions for your patients based on the most credible scientific evidence available.

	Can I distinguish good drug studies from not-so-good drug studies? Industry-sponsored studies often favor the sponsor's product. Can you distinguish between real science and pseudo science? Can you identify the strengths and weaknesses in studies reported in journals? Can you find the six problems with this clinical trial report? A report from a randomized clinical trial of drug Xeta in a leading medical journal concluded that the drug reduced mortality by 25% in patients with toxic soritis. Nine of the 1,000 patients allocated to Xeta died compared to 12 of the 1,000 patients in the comparison group given drug Omega. One hundred sixty Xeta patients developed adverse effects and dropped out early after enrollment compared to 79 in the Omega group. Vital status was monitored among all participants who remained on active treatment. The trial was sponsored by the manufacturer of Xeta. The authors reported no potential conflicts of interest. > Click here for the answers. Although the relative difference in mortality was 25% (1.2% vs. 0.9%), this difference is not statistically significant. Therefore, it is incorrect to conclude that there was a difference in mortality. However, the absolute difference was only 0.3%. In addition, since the comparison group was given another drug (Omega), the observed mortality difference could have been due to an increased mortality in this group. There is no assurance that the Xeta represented a safe and effective treatment of toxic soritis. The high and differential drop-out rate is a concern, especially if the vital status was not determined in patients who did not complete the study. One would expect deaths to occur among the drop-outs and these would increase the reported number of deaths (9 vs. 12). The publication of an article in a reputable medical journal is no guarantee of its quality. An extensive literature review of clinical trial findings reported that industry-sponsored trials are up to three times more likely to show favorable results to the sponsor compared to non-industry sponsored trials. The reported lack of conflict of interest could be questioned because the trial was sponsored by industry. Learn more. Go to Lesson 1: A Clinician's Guide to Clinical Appraisal of Clinical Trials. Take for CME \|\| Take without CME. > Go to the next question.
	Should I feel comfortable prescribing new drugs on the market to my patients? When a new drug appears on the market, which of the following can you be sure of: Efficacy Safety All major side effects known > Click here for the answers. If you checked any of the boxes, it's not what you think. Learn more. Go to Lesson 2: What Does Drug Approval by the FDA Mean? Take for CME \|\| Take without CME > Go to the next question.
	Can I tell what is wrong with this drug company ad? Can you pick out the misleading information in this drug company claim? Learn more. Go to Lesson 3: Pharmaceutical Marketing: Its Goal is to Influence Your Prescribing Practices. Take for CME \|\| Take without CME > Go to the next question.
	How much am I influenced by pharmaceutical marketing? Find out how YOU compare to other clinicians. Learn more. Go to Lesson 4: Ways to Recognize and Avoid Marketing Influence. Take for CME \|\| Take without CME > Go to the next question.
	Am I prescribing dangerous combinations of drugs? Can you identify the problematic drug interactions? Learn more. Go to Lesson 5: Principles of Rational Prescribing. Take for CME \|\| Take without CME > Close.

If you have asked yourself the preceding questions, then the SmartPrescribe curriculum can aid you in finding the answers. Go to SmartPrescribe now.