Personal Information Packs Launched

A new concept of keeping all vital medical information in a safe place, known to emergency medical services has been launched. It is called the Pfizer PIP (Personal Information Pack). It aims to enable prompt sharing of medical information which would lead to improved patient outcomes.

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It is a plastic container that includes details of medical history, conditions, doctors, family and medicines. Emergency workers have been trained to recognise the accompanying notice which is placed inside the frame of the hall door signalling that a Pfizer PIP is contained in the fridge, (a fridge being a common location and it is most likely to survive accidents such as fire, flooding etc). A key ring is also provided so that emergency services are aware of the existence of the PIP in the home if emergency services are accessed outside the home.

By keeping vital medical information in a safe place, known to emergency medical services, the Pfizer PIP (Personal Information Pack) aims to save lives, as Mr. Stephen Cusack, Accident & Emergency Consultant at Cork University Hospital explains: "We face problems on a daily basis with people coming into A&E units for medical treatment who perhaps are unable to advise about their medical history or don't know the details of current medication sufficiently. When an emergency team enters a house and sees the notice by the front door, they know that all of the relevant information is contained within the Pfizer PIP in the fridge. Emergency teams are a hospital's primary source of information when a patient is brought in so the Pfizer PIP is of huge benefit to doctors who cannot rely on family or a patient's GP - who may not be available - to deliver the information quickly," he said. "Approximately one quarter of the people over the age of 50 who arrive in A&E do not have a sufficient knowledge of their conditions or medications, which is why something like the Pfizer PIP is so useful to doctors working in casualty."

The Asthma Society of Ireland believes the PIP may be very helpful for people with asthma. The PIP is available from pharmacies nationwide and costs 2€

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