The Pharma Documentation Ring (PDR) is a corporate-based organisation with 27 member companies. Representatives from the information departments of these companies met at the 38th AGM of the PDR, hosted by Glaxo Welcome.
Under the core topic of Information Management, they discussed non-confidential matters of mutual interest, such as Internet/Intranet applications, pharmaceutical development product files, document delivery files, and coverage of chemical, patent and biomedical databases.
As a result of the meeting, there is to be a special Intranet meeting which will focus on the actual experience of member companies. The PDR member companies will support initiatives towards improved document delivery systems, and fair copyright rules. They will be stressing to information providers the need for information services in HTML format for in-house Intranets.
Only PDR member companies attend these closed meetings. One of the main objectives of the PDR is to contact customers directly as a group, and to initiate the development of new tailored information services.
Further information can be found in Drug News and Perspectives, 1995, Vol. 7, 551-556; 1996, Vol 9, 58-60. The next AGM is in Berlin in September 1997.
Current PDR members are Asta Medica, Astra, BASF, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boehringer Mannheim, Byk Gulden Lomberg, Ciba-Geigy, Glaxo-Wellcome, Gruenenthal, Knoll, E. Merck, Novo Nordisk, Nycomed,Organon, Pfizer, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Roussel-Uclaf,Sandoz, Sanofi, Schering, SmithKline Beecham, Solvay Duphar, Wyeth, Zeneca.