medicines information for consumers

The Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB) is an independent source of information for all medicines obtainable in the Netherlands. This is logical because the MEB is the only organisation in the Netherlands authorised by law to issue marketing authorisations for medicines and thus grant access to the Dutch market. The MEB is thus also the most up-to-date source of information.

When issuing marketing authorisation for a medicine, the MEB not only grants the relevant authorisation, but also assesses all important information about the medicine. This important information is reproduced in the detailed product information sheet for doctors and pharmacists (summary of product characteristics, SPC). A summary is made of this for patients; this is called the package leaflet. The MEB also decides on the product's legal status (whether it can be obtained without prescription or may only be dispensed on prescription). All authorised medicines in the Netherlands are incorporated in the MEB's Medicines data bank, where you can also find the detailed product information, the package leaflet and information about the legal status for each medicine.

Once a medicine has entered the market, the MEB monitors the adverse events reported for that medicine by doctors, pharmacists and patients. It therefore always contains the most up-to-date information about the efficacy and possible adverse events of medicines. This information can be found in the news section. If necessary, the MEB can take steps like modifying the package leaflet text or - in the most extreme case - suspending sales of the medicine.