MIMS to go fully digital from 2024

The evolution of MIMS into a fully digital prescribing reference reflects the way healthcare professionals increasingly choose to access medicines information. As well as supporting digital transformation of the NHS, the move is intended to reduce MIMS’ carbon footprint, the majority of which comes from printing and delivery of the print copies.

We also plan to devote more time and resources to enhancing our existing digital resources and developing new products to make the digital-only MIMS even more useful and easy to access.

Carbon footprint

The environmental impact of the MIMS print publication has been gradually reduced over recent years, with the reduction in publication frequency from monthly to quarterly in 2014, the subsequent trimming of the print issue by nearly 200 pages, and the restriction of print circulation to a single copy per practice earlier this year.

Switching to a fully digital model eliminates all the carbon emissions associated with printing and delivery, and allows us to continue to deliver the trusted quick-reference content healthcare professionals rely on, in the way that best suits their needs.

Compared to the quarterly print issue, which provides a limited selection of MIMS content in a format that may be out of date by the time it is published, the MIMS website is updated constantly throughout the working day so users can be confident they are making the safest possible prescribing decisions based on the latest information.

MIMS online

The MIMS website provides all of the content from the print edition and much more, searchable at the click of a mouse. Online, users can find the full drug database of >3000 concise drug listings, the complete range of drug comparison tables and guideline synopses, and exclusive online resources including news, live product trackers (including the popular drug shortages tracker), and visual guides to diabetes and respiratory devices.

All healthcare professionals can enjoy limited free access to MIMS online by completing the simple registration form. For unlimited access you can find information on subscribing at mims.co.uk/subscribe.

MIMS launched in 1959, and has expanded since its early days to offer an ever-increasing range of prescribing tools and resources. Recent innovations include a comparison table of inhaler carbon emissions and the introduction of a symbol to flag lower-carbon inhalers, a tracker to highlight new generic products, and the relaunch of the ‘Supported Resources’ section offering relevant content from trusted commercial partners.

The last print issue of MIMS will be published in December 2023.