Rahul Sharma (Editor)

MIMS Ireland

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Country
  
Ireland

Subject
  
Medicine

Publisher
  
MPI Media Ltd

Language
  
British English

Genre
  
Medical reference

Publication date
  
Monthly

The Monthly Index of Medical Specialities Ireland (MIMS Ireland) is a well-established prescribing guide delivered to medical practitioners in Ireland. It was founded by Dr John O'Connell, who came up with the concept of a small, concise medical guide that was to become MIMS. MIMS Ireland is used by the Irish Medicines Board to convey information on drug safety, and is recommended by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) as part of the premises requirements for pharmacies. It is also listed as a reference for the use of drugs in sports by the Irish Sports Council.

Contents

MIMS Ireland celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010. Former editors include John O'Connell, Andrea Leotha, Arlene Cock and Marie-Catherine Mousseau.

Origin

Dr John O'Connell, an Irish general practitioner who later became the Minister for Health, proposed to the English publisher Alf Morgan the idea of a compact, user-friendly medical guide which was to become MIMS – the Monthly Index of Medical Specialities. Since drug names in Ireland were somewhat different from those in the UK, Alf Morgan and John O'Connell both set up their own version of the guide in their respective country: MIMS in the UK and MIMS Ireland in the Republic of Ireland.

The MIMS concept was subsequently taken up by a number of other English speaking countries around the world who set up their own versions of MIMS.

Editorial content

The core of MIMS Ireland consists of entries (monographs) of medicinal products available in the Republic of Ireland. These include a concise summary of main prescribing information such as indications, dosage, contraindications, interactions, special-warnings and side effects as well as information about pack size and price. MIMS Ireland also works in collaboration with the Irish Sports Council to provide guidance on the use of each drug in sport.

In addition, MIMS Ireland contains a preliminary section which each month includes:

  • Extended monographs of new products that have become available in the current month
  • New Clinical Evidence (reviews of recently published/presented results of clinical trials)
  • A Clinical Special (monthly focus on a particular condition)
  • A monthly update on safety issues provided to MIMS Ireland by the Irish Authority for Pharmacovigilance reporting (the Irish Medicines Board, or IMB)
  • A summary of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code provided to MIMS Ireland by the Irish Sports Council

    • Though MIMS Ireland is supported by advertisement and educational grants from the pharmaceutical industry, it is an independently written publication with strict editorial policy and content left at the discretion of the editor.

    Supplements

    For a number of years, a number of supplements have been published alongside MIMS Ireland to guide healthcare professionals in specific areas including:

  • An Oncology Reference published every May which contains prescribing information and guidelines on neoplastic disorders and severe pain as well as a listing of other hospital products such as anaesthetics, muscle relaxants, premedications, dressings and appliances
  • A Diabetes Reference published every November which contains type-1 and type-2 diabetes prescribing information and guidelines
  • A Cardiovascular Reference is now also published in March, listing all cardiovascular drugs such as anti-hypertensive drugs or drugs indicated for the prevention of myocardial infarction and strokes, as well as highlighting new guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

    • Yearbook

    Every year since 2009, MIMS Ireland has been publishing a Yearbook containing a selection of Clinical Specials featured in MIMS Ireland during the past year, including recent clinical updates, reference tables or guidelines focusing on various therapeutic areas.

    Newsletter

    A monthly electronic newsletter service, the MIMS Ireland e-Newsletter, was launched in March 2010.

    References

    MIMS Ireland Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA