Drug information and prescription guidance: missions of the French regional pharmacovigilance centers

Missions: Drug information is one of the missions of the French Regional Ph armacovigilance Centers together with the evaluation of adverse drug reacti on (ADR) reports, expertise, teaching and research. Services: Physicians and other health professionals call their regional cen ter (the address and phone numbers are on the first pages of the Vidal, the French national drug compendium) for any kind of information pertaining to adverse drug reactions or proper use of drugs such as drug use in pregnanc y or lactation. Reliability: This information activity is successful because of the compete nce and impartiality of the regional centers which are based in university hospitals under an agreement signed with the French Medicines Agency.