PICS: The pharmaceutical information control system of merck sharp and dohme research laboratories

The Pharmaceutical Information Control System (PICS), developed at Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories, provides centralized control and methodology for a series of decentralized information areas in the Division. It is compatible with and instrumental in total data processing and analysis of research information. Serving as a Core Index to all information resources of the Research Laboratories, it also processes, stores, and retrieves research project information for the staff members for planning and retrospective searches. A register of all domestic and international clinical research information on experimental and in‐line products of Merck & Co., Inc., is provided by the system. An eight‐digit dual‐faceted classification code was developed based on a companywide program identification scheme. This code of two mutually exclusive facets enables us to identify a product with a field of research. This code has been adopted for use in administrative planning, cost accounting, time allocation, and internal reporting. The uniform use of this information code within the Research Division minimizes the vocabulary barrier between the user and information system and provides the system with a self‐indexing device for internal reports. Incoming mail is copied and registered by the information center prior to transmittal to the addressee. Copies of all outgoing mail and intramural correspondence are directed to the center. An information scientist analyzes each document and selects the project code and document descriptors. This information is punched into 80‐column cards. The documents are filed by code and the cards are filed alphabetically by name, term, and by date. Output forms include information, documents, printouts of document citations, and reports to drug regulatory agencies. Continuous system evaluation results in reduced I/O time, better utilization of personnel, and improved user feedback and contact.