RELIS

RELIS is a national network of four regional medicines information and pharmacovigilance centres in Norway. RELIS was established stepwise from 1995 on the basis of a recognised need for an independent medicines information service for health care professionals in order to achieve better use of medicines. The centres are situated in regional university hospitals, employ both pharmacists and medical doctors, and cooperate with respective units of clinical pharmacology. RELIS is funded by an unconditional grant from the Ministry of Health and Care Services, and the information service is free of charge, and independent from the pharmaceutical industry. RELIS answers medicine-related questions from healthcare professionals on cases involving individual patients, and also questions of more general character. The questions and answers are published in the RELIS database, accessible via the RELIS homepage. All the information in the database and other information on this homepage is in Norwegian. In collaboration with the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NOMA), RELIS handles and assesses reports of suspected adverse drug reactions submitted by health care professionals. Since 2011, RELIS also offers a teratology information service for the public; www.tryggmammamedisin.no . This is a confidential service, free of charge, where the general public is welcome to ask questions regarding their personal use of medicines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. On a regular basis, RELIS also offers regional courses or seminars on medicines use and safety, and lectures at respective local colleges and universities.