Citation

Verstraete AG. Proc. Int. Counc. Alcohol Drugs Traffic Safety Conf. 2002; 2002: 543-546.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, The author(s) and the Council, Publisher International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In Europe, slow progress is made towards the categorization of medicines. At the European Union level, the working group on Alcohol, drugs, medicines and driving has recommended implementation of a categorization system on the effects of medicinal drugs on driving performance, establishment of a 'minimum' list of medications that clearly impair ability to drive, development of guidelines for prescribing medicinal drugs to the driving patient, for the information to be provided to the driving patient by physicians, pharmacists and for information to the general public as regards the effects of medicinal drugs on driving and implementation of a pictogram in the package insert and on the package of drugs that clearly impair the ability to drive safely. The latest version of the Third Road Safety Action Plan does not mention medicine categorization explicitly. In several member states, there has been some progress, but also setbacks. In conclusion, countries having a system with a red triangle, are unhappy about it, and countries that don't have it, would like to introduce it. A lot of efforts are still needed in order to implement a categorization system in Europe.