X-PIL ensures that patient information leaflets (PILs) supplied with medicines are accessible to everyone, including those with sight problems.

X-PIL is a leading source of reliable and up-to-date information on UK medicines. The web site is managed by Datapharm Communications Limited. All the PILs on the web site are supplied and updated regularly by UK pharmaceutical companies.

All the PILs on the X-PIL web site can be viewed in different sizes and are designed for screen readers.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Medicines Information Line can also provide PILs in a number of physical formats:

• Large / clear print
• Braille
• Audio CD

The RNIB Medicines Information Line is free to use and available during normal office hours. Please call them on 0800 198 5000.

Over the coming months, more PILs will be added to the X-PIL web site. During the course of 2008 over 2500 PILs will be made available.

X-PIL complements the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) web site. The eMC already has patient and prescribing information for thousands of medicines and is used widely by the public, doctors, pharmacists and nurses. Last year over 3 million documents were viewed on the eMC. The eMC has not been designed to work with screen readers but by the end of March 2007 all the PILs on the eMC will also be available on the X-PIL web site.

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