Brussels, 17/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - The day before the vote at the EP in first reading on the "medicines package" (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.11), and after the environment committee's rejection of the provisions concerning the launching of three pilot projects allowing the industry to directly inform patients on medicines available for the treatment of AIDS, asthma and diabetes, the Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) laboratory stressed that the European Parliament should choose next week in Strasbourg between a "a first step towards information liberalisation" or "increased levels of censorship", as the environment committee recommends. "MSD feels strongly that pharmaceutical companies have a valuable and legitimate role to play in explaining the safe and appropriate use of their products", states a press release, which continues: "It is unacceptable that currently companies that research, develop and manufacture medicines are prevented from helping patients better understand how to use them safely". The press release states that, during a recent seminar organised by MDS in Brussels, a representative of "Patient View", Alex Wyke, said that only 60% of patients consider doctors as a reliable source of information and that fewer still trust the official patient information leaflet that accompanies medicines. "When we asked European patient groups if they wanted the EU to allow pharmaceutical companies to supply them with information about prescription medicines, 50% said yes, 17% of whom wanted to see this accompanied by strict safeguards. Only 9% of patient groups said no", he added.