1. Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)

1.2. Structure and content of the SmPC

As laid out in the QRD template ANNEX I,the list of contents is as follows:

Quotes from the template are included to illustrate exemplary the complexity and detail of the SmPC, incl. prescriptive text. These quotes are indicated in the following way: [Green text]. They are guidance and explanatory notes only, to be deleted when using the templates. Additional explanatory notes (not in the QRD template) are inserted directly after the respective heading in brackets and ‘italic’

{text}: Information to be filled in
<text>: Text to be selected or deleted as appropriate

[For medicinal products subject to additional monitoring ONLY:
The black symbol and the statements should only appear preceding section 1. The black symbol shall be a black inverted equilateral triangle: the symbol shall be proportional to the font size of the subsequent standardized text and in any case each side of the triangle shall have a minimum length of 5 mm. For the purpose of preparing the product information annexes please use the black triangle as presented in this template (see below).]
 

< This medicinal product is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of
new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions.
<See section 4.8 for how to report adverse reactions.>


1. Name of the medicinal product, strength and pharmaceutical form.
2.. Qualitative and quantitative composition.
3. Pharmaceutical form.
4. Clinical particulars.

4.1.   Therapeutic indication(s) (define unambiguously for whom the medicine is indicated specifying any limitation, e.g. age)

4.2.   Posology[i] and method of administration (clearly specify the posology for each indication and relevant patient category for which the medicine is indicated, including any special population in which dose adjustment may be required)

4.3.   Contraindications

4.4.   Special warnings and precautions for use

4.5.   Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction (highlight the clinically relevant interactions which result in a recommendation for use)

4.6.   Fertility, pregnancy and lactation (Follow the list of pregnancy and lactation statements, in an (Appendix I).)

4.7.   Effects on ability to drive and use machines

4.8.   Undesirable effects (summarise the safety profile of the medicine and list all adverse reactions (but not the adverse events))

[Sub-headings should be used to facilitate identification of information on each selected adverse reaction and on each relevant special population, e.g.: “Summary of the safety profile”, “Tabulated list of adverse reactions”, “Description of selected adverse reactions” (alternatively the subsection could be named with the name of the relevant adverse reaction), “Other special populations”.]
<Paediatric population>
[For ALL medicinal products: The following sub-heading should appear at the end of section 4.8:]

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions


Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the national reporting system listed in Appendix V.*

[*For the printed materials: No reference to Appendix V should be included in the printed materials….]

4.9.   Overdose

5. Pharmacological properties. (This includes information about how the medicine works, safety information, how the medicine is absorbed and removed from the body.)

5..1. Pharmacodynamic properties (may provide limited information on clinical results if it is relevant to the prescriber, statistically compelling and supports the authorised indication(s))

[For medicinal products authorised as similar biological medicinal products, include the following  statement:]
<{(Invented) name} is a biosimilar medicinal product. Detailed information is available on the website
of the European Medicines Agency http://www.ema.europa.eu.>

5.2.   Pharmacokinetic properties
<Absorption>
<Distribution>
<Biotransformation>
<Elimination>
<Linearity/non-linearity>

[Additional sub-heading(s), such as “Renal impairment”, “Hepatic impairment”, “Elderly”, “Paediatric population” or “Other special populations” (to be specified) should be used, where appropriate.]
<Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship(s)>

 

5. 3.   Preclinical safety data

[Additional sub-headings such as “Juvenile animal studies” can be included when necessary.]
<Non-clinical data reveal no special hazard for humans based on conventional studies of safety pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenic potential, toxicity to reproduction and development.>
<Effects in non-clinical studies were observed only at exposures considered sufficiently in excess of the maximum human exposure indicating little relevance to clinical use.>
<Adverse reactions not observed in clinical studies, but seen in animals at exposure levels similar to clinical exposure levels and with possible relevance to clinical use were as follows:>
<Environmental risk assessment (ERA)>


6. Pharmaceutical particulars.

6.1.   List of excipients

6.2.   Incompatibilities

6.3.   Shelf life

6.4.   Special precautions for storage
[For storage condition statements, see Appendix III.]
[General storage conditions of the finished medicinal product should appear here, together with a cross-reference to section 6.3 where appropriate:]
<For storage conditions after <reconstitution><dilution><first opening> of the medicinal product, see section 6.3.>

6.5.   Nature and contents of container <and special equipment for use, administration or implantation>
[The proposed optional heading “and special equipment for use, administration or implantation” is for advanced therapy medicinal products only. Explanatory illustrations may be included, if necessary.]
[Multipack presentations should also be listed in this section, e.g. “multipacks containing 180 (2 packs of 90) film-coated tablets”.]

<Not all pack sizes may be marketed.>

6.6.   Special precautions for disposal <and other handling>

7. Marketing authorisation holder.

8. Marketing authorisation number(s).

9. Date of first authorisation/renewal of the authorisation.

10. Date of revision of the text.

For detailed information on a medicinal product, reference should be made to the public assessment report within the SmPC (e.g. “Detailed information on this product is available on the website of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) http://www.ema.europa.eu”)

When planning the treatment of a patient, the SmPC is a useful tool for the doctor. It contains all information the doctor needs to inform the patient on the benefits and the risks of the chosen medicine. Furthermore, guidance on the use is included along with relevant warnings on what to do and what to avoid during the treatment.



[i] Posology is the branch of medicine concerned with the determination of appropriate doses of drugs or agents