Trade.Information

Company Name: Merck & Co., Inc.

Company Type: International developer, manufacturer and distributor

Company Profile

Merck & Co., Inc. is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Established in 1891, Merck discovers, develops, manufactures and markets vaccines and medicines to address unmet medical needs. The company devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. Merck also publishes unbiased health information as a not-for-profit service

About Company

Merck has published the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit, a new free information resource designed to  help patients more effectively communicate with their doctors.  Merck is making the Guide available free-of-charge as part of the Company’s commitment to provide unbiased health information resources to the public, which began in 1899 with the publication of the first Merck Manual. Consumers can receive a copy by visiting www.YourHealthNow.com.

"Many people arrive at a visit unprepared and forget to ask their doctors important questions," says Dr. Robert Berkow, editor emeritus of The Merck Manuals, the world’s best-selling medical reference.  "Open communication with your physician can help identify potential health problems when they are still preventable and easily treatable."

An annual physical is the one time people get a full assessment of their overall health. The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit, which was created with the input of doctors and patients, advises people to spend a few minutes before their doctor’s visit thinking about any recent changes in health or questions to be discussed with their doctor. "This preparation can help patients have a more productive visit with their doctor and also can ensure that people do not leave the office with questions they forgot to ask," says Berkow.

The concise 11-page pocket Guide also encourages patients to record their doctor’s advice and provides space to track health goals along with a notes section. "Following your doctor’s advice is critical in maintaining and improving health," says Dr. Berkow. "But when people don’t remember exactly what their doctor said, or forget altogether, important recommendations can be overlooked."

"At Merck, we are committed to putting the patient first, and part of this commitment includes providing credible, unbiased health information, such as the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit," says Maggie Kohn, Director of Corporate Responsibility Communications.  "This Guide will serve as an important tool for both patients and their doctors."

The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit follows the launch earlier this year of the Guide to Affordable Medicine, a consumer resource that provides information on how to navigate the various government and private programs that offer medicines at a discount or for free.

The Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit will be distributed to doctors’ offices throughout the United States and local community health organizations.  For more information about the Guide to Making the Most of Your Annual Doctor’s Visit and other Merck publications, including the Guide to Affordable Medicine, visit www.YourHealthNow.com.