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The use of animals in research, teaching and testing is an important ethical and political issue. Much of the discussion about this issue revolves around the relative value, often referred to as 'moral value', of humans and animals.

The International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE) is a non-profit international professional membership organization dedicated to advancing the health of the public by providing a forum for the open exchange of scientific information and for the development of policy; education; and advocacy for the field of pharmacoepidemiology, including pharmacovigilance, drug utilization research, outcomes research, comparative effectiveness research, and therapeutic risk management.

In collaboration with the Animal Welfare Information Center at the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, USA has produced a database which provides an overview of guidelines, databases, journals, email lists, regulations and policies which may help researchers to implement the 3Rs when planning research that may involve animals. The database is called 3R Guide.

The aim of 3R Guide is to provide a 'one-stop shop' for researchers who need to gain an overview of available 3R resources.

Over the past twenty years or so, there has been a ‘revolution’ in the life sciences,and our knowledge and capabilities have dramatically increased. At the same time, these advances have raised very important ethical concerns in both the scientific community and with the public at large.