By Clinical Informatics News Staff

November 17, 2016 | PatientsLikeMe has expanded the scope of patient-generated information it offers through Walgreens.com to help more people better understand how certain prescription medications may affect them.

The new information is updated daily from aggregated reports by PatientsLikeMe members, and highlights the reasons why patients use specific prescription drugs and how effective they think they are. Also included are lists of the top five medication alternatives patients have tried for the same condition, as well as links to more extensive reports about dosage, duration, adherence and burden for more than 5,000 medications.

Walgreens is the first pharmacy to provide PatientsLikeMe reports about medications on its website. The offering is an expansion of the collaboration between the two companies formed in 2015, when PatientsLikeMe first offered its patient-generated information on medications’ side effects and their severity on Walgreens Health Dashboard, a secure and private personalized health information offering.

“Whether you’re just starting a new medication or you’re researching alternatives, knowing what others have already experienced is invaluable,” said Michael Evers, PatientsLikeMe’s Executive Vice President of Marketing, Technology & Operations in a statement. “We’re excited that our members are helping more people know their options and what to expect, so that everyone can make more informed choices for their health.”