In a press release issued on 12 November, CDU MEPs Peter Liese and Thomas Ulmer were openly critical of the ideas put forward by Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen on information to patients. According to the two MEPs, both doctors, giving patients access to information on medicines could lead to “an increase in costly prescriptions that could carry several side effects”. Is one to deduce that in Germany, prescriptions are written by patients and, indeed, that doctors only prescribe less expensive medicines? Given that even our grandmothers' herbal infusions could cause side effects, are there, in Germany, lots of medicines which do not cause a large number of side effects and contra-indications? Can we cure everything through homeopathy, so-called gentle medicines or prayer? I personally don't think so. Like you, gentlemen, I think that advertising of medicines should continue to be prohibited. I am, however, convinced that health education and patients' access to information on medicines are key to tackling big business and improving medicine and public health. (O.J./transl.rt)