How We Research Medicine Information
SGMeds publishes medicine information in a commercial setting, so the standard has to be stricter than ordinary product copy.
Our pages should help a user understand what they are looking at without pretending to diagnose, prescribe or guarantee availability. That means checking ingredients, separating product facts from sales language, and being clear when a claim depends on Singapore, Malaysia or a pharmacy partner.
The starting point: active ingredient first
We organise medicine information around the active ingredient before the brand name.
That matters because a user may recognise:
- a Singapore brand
- a Malaysia brand
- an Indian generic
- an EU, UK, US or Australian brand
- a product name used by an online pharmacy
Those names can point to the same ingredient, similar ingredients, or completely different medicines. The active ingredient is the safest starting point for comparison.
Source priority
When we check medicine content, we prefer sources in this order:
- Official medicine regulators and health authorities
- Manufacturer product documents, labels or patient leaflets
- Recognised medicine references and public-health sources
- Ingredient-name systems and drug databases
- Specialist medical publishers where primary sources are incomplete
We avoid using forum posts, social media claims, anonymous health blogs, copied affiliate text or unsupported product hype as evidence.
Singapore and Malaysia checks
For local context, we treat Singapore and Malaysia separately.
| Topic | Main source type we look for |
|---|---|
| Singapore product or medicine-rule context | Health Sciences Authority (HSA) pages, therapeutic-product guidance and official public information |
| Malaysia product or registration context | National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) information and registered-product tools |
| Cross-border medicine names | Active ingredient, manufacturer information and regulator records where available |
| General clinical context | Recognised medicine references, product leaflets and public-health bodies |
| Ordering limits or supply route | Checkout, pharmacy-partner requirements and destination rules |
We do not assume that a medicine available in one country is automatically available, registered or supplyable in the other.
Brand and generic wording
SGMeds does not treat “generic” as automatically better, worse, safer or riskier than a brand.
For brand and generic comparisons, we look at:
- active ingredient
- strength
- dosage form
- manufacturer
- available pack size
- local name differences
- registration or supply context where relevant
- known product documentation
If two products share an ingredient, that still does not prove they are suitable substitutes for every patient. Prescriber instructions, release form, allergies, monitoring needs and local rules can matter.
Product pages are not treatment recommendations
SGMeds product pages may explain common uses, medicine class, active ingredient and comparison details. They do not tell a user that a medicine is personally suitable.
We avoid wording that says or implies:
- personal suitability without review
- professional advice is unnecessary
- absolute safety
- universal effectiveness
- worldwide approval
- permanent availability
Where a medicine has meaningful safety considerations, the page should nudge the user toward professional advice rather than pushing urgency.
Availability and registration can change
Medicine availability is unstable.
Prices, pack sizes, stock, shipping routes, partner-pharmacy requirements, regulator pages and product registrations can change. A statement that was correct during review may become outdated.
When a fact is likely to change, we prefer cautious wording:
- “may be available”
- “where supplied”
- “depending on destination”
- “subject to pharmacy review”
- “check the current regulator or pharmacy source”
That is less forceful than marketing copy, but it is safer for medicine content.
What we check before publishing
Before publishing or updating a medicine page, we aim to check:
- whether the active ingredient is named correctly
- whether brand and generic relationships are described carefully
- whether strength and dosage form wording is clear
- whether country-specific claims have country-specific support
- whether safety wording avoids personal medical advice
- whether claims about delivery, supply or checkout are not overstated
- whether source links still support the statements around them
Not every page needs every source type. A simple catalogue page may need less context than a country-specific guide or a prescription-sensitive medicine.
Corrections and updates
SGMeds accepts correction reports because medicine data changes and catalogue systems can contain errors.
Useful correction reports include:
- the page URL
- the exact claim or field
- what appears wrong or outdated
- a source link, product leaflet or regulator page if available
Send corrections through Contacts. We review reports and update content where needed.
Medical-safety boundary
SGMeds is an information and ordering-access site. It is not an emergency service, clinic, prescriber or personal pharmacist.
Ask a qualified professional before starting, stopping or changing medicine, especially for prescription medicines, pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, chronic conditions, allergies, interactions, unusual symptoms or worsening symptoms.