[The workings of the Drug Bulletin]

The Dutch Drug Bulletin (Geneesmiddelenbulletin) is a monthly journal with a unique approach which, after a hectic period in which its independence and even its right to exist were threatened, has now reached calm water The continued existence of the Dutch Drug Bulletin is now guaranteed, independently of the pharmaceutical industry, the government, professional organizations and patient organizations. Articles appear in the Dutch Drug Bulletin after extensive consultation among various experts. Conclusions are based on the published (and hence controllable) results of randomized, preferably double-blind, studies with an appropriate control group. Departures from these standards are made only in highly exceptional cases. The Dutch Drug Bulletin determines the place of new drugs amongst the already available drugs and compares their effectiveness and side effects with those of the standard therapy. This approach guarantees that dentists and physicians are kept up to date with respect to developments in the field of pharmacology, without the pharmaceutical industry or the government exerting any influence.