THE MEDICAL LETTER on Drugs and Therapeutics is an independent, nonprofit publication that offers unbiased critical evaluations of drugs—with special emphasis on new drugs—to physicians and other members of the health professions.
The Medical Letter evaluates virtually all new drugs and also reviews older drugs when important new information becomes available on their usefulness or adverse effects. The manufacturer is given the opportunity to supply material supporting the claims for the drug, and both published and available unpublished studies are carefully examined, paying special attention to the results of controlled clinical trials. An expert consultant prepares a preliminary report on the drug in terms of its effectiveness, adverse effects and possible alternatives.
The preliminary draft is edited and sent to every member of the Editorial Advisory Board of The Medical Letter, to 10 to 20 other investigators who have special clinical and experimental experience with the drug or type of drug under review, to an appropriate representative of the pharmaceutical company making the drug and sometimes to companies that make competitive drugs as well.
Many criticisms, suggestions and questions come in from the reviewers in letters, faxes and telephone calls. Further extended communication by mail, phone and personal consultation is followed by final checking and editing to make the appraisal not only accurate, but also easy to read. If a new drug offers genuine advantages over older drugs, The Medical Letter says so. If it offers no advantage, if its effectiveness is limited, or if it is too toxic or too expensive to justify its use, The Medical Letter says so plainly. If new information changes the picture, follow-up reports are published.
The Medical Letter is available to single users online only and covers the period from 1995-2006.