Evidence & Transparency
How EvidentMeds sources, rates, and contextualises information — and what it doesn't do.
What EvidentMeds Is (and Isn't)
EvidentMeds is an educational reference built from publicly available clinical data — FDA prescribing information, peer-reviewed literature, ClinicalTrials.gov records, and government transparency databases.
It is not a substitute for medical advice, a diagnostic tool, or a treatment recommendation system. It does not know your medical history, current medications, lab values, or individual risk factors.
Every medication page is designed to help you ask better questions during a clinical appointment — not to make decisions independently of your prescribing physician.
Do not stop or change any medication based solely on information found here. Always consult your prescribing physician. For emergencies, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
How We Use Language
EvidentMeds applies a deliberate language standard to avoid overstating certainty. You will see:
Conditional language throughout
"suggests," "may," "appears," "is associated with" — not "proves," "always," "guaranteed," or "cures."
Source attribution on every claim
Funding sources, study names, and regulatory documents are named and linked so you can verify independently.
Context without accusation
Industry funding and payment disclosures are presented as context, not evidence of wrongdoing. Conflict disclosure is legally required — not inherently disqualifying.
No absolute claims about safety or efficacy
Efficacy data reflects trial averages, not individual outcomes. "Works for X% of patients in trial Y" is very different from "will work for you."
Risk of Bias Ratings (Cochrane RoB-2)
Each clinical trial listed on medication pages carries a risk-of-bias badge. These are editorial assessments using the framework developed by the Cochrane Collaboration — the global standard for evaluating randomised controlled trials. They are not certified Cochrane reviews.
The five RoB-2 domains assessed
- 1Randomization process: Was allocation concealed? Was the sequence truly random?
- 2Deviations from intended interventions: Did participants receive what was assigned?
- 3Missing outcome data: Is data loss balanced and explained?
- 4Measurement of the outcome: Was the outcome assessed in an unbiased way?
- 5Selection of the reported result: Was the outcome pre-specified, or chosen after seeing the data?
Badge meanings
No major methodological concerns identified across the five domains. Typically independent or government-funded RCTs with pre-registered outcomes.
One or more domains raise questions — most commonly industry sponsorship, open-label design, or incomplete outcome reporting. Results may still be valid but warrant caution.
Significant design or reporting concerns — often observational studies, retrospective analyses, or trials with substantial missing data. Results should be interpreted cautiously.
Not a randomised trial — applies to regulatory documents, legal settlements, meta-analyses, or systematic reviews (which are assessed using ROBIS, not RoB-2).
CMS Open Payments
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act (enacted 2010, data from 2013) requires pharmaceutical and medical device companies to publicly report all payments made to U.S. physicians and teaching hospitals. This database is administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and is called Open Payments.
Reported payments include: consulting fees, speaking honoraria, meals and travel, research funding, ownership or investment interests, and royalties.
What Open Payments tells us — and what it doesn't
It tells us
- Which companies paid a physician
- How much was paid and for what category
- Whether a prescriber has a financial relationship with a manufacturer
- The years those payments occurred
It does not tell us
- Whether a payment influenced a specific prescribing decision
- Whether a physician acted inappropriately
- Whether the medication itself is good or bad
- Whether you should change your treatment
"Payments alone do not prove bias or misconduct. Disclosure is legally required — it is context, not condemnation."
Medical Disclaimer
The content on EvidentMeds is compiled from publicly available sources including FDA prescribing information, ClinicalTrials.gov records, peer-reviewed journal articles, and government databases. It is provided for educational and informational purposes only.
In the United States: For medical emergencies, call 911. Poison Control Center: 1-800-222-1222. SAMHSA Substance Use Helpline: 1-800-662-4357. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988.
Primary Sources We Use
FDA Drug Database (DailyMed)
Official FDA prescribing information and labeling
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry of U.S. and international clinical studies
PubMed / MEDLINE (NIH)
Peer-reviewed biomedical and life science literature
Cochrane Library
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
CMS Open Payments
Pharmaceutical industry payment disclosures
MedlinePlus (NIH)
Patient-facing drug and condition information
ICER Evidence Reports
Independent comparative effectiveness and pricing analysis
FDA Adverse Event Reporting
Post-market safety surveillance data
EvidentMeds · For educational purposes only · Not medical advice