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Finding Drug Information

How to find drug information. Includes an information flow chart, table of resources, and more.

About the Resources

Resource Descriptions

Resource Name Pub. Type Quality Indicators Notes

AHFS Drug Information
(Stat!Ref)

Tertiary

reference text standard textbook on pharmacology

Basic & Clinical Pharmacology
(AccessPharmacy)

Tertiary

longstanding reference in its 12th edition standard textbook on pharmacology
BCC Research Secondary regularly updated; industry resource market research reports covering high-tech, energy, and healthcare sectors.

CareNotes (Micromedex)

Tertiary update dates stated, referenced, editors and credentials stated consumer oriented information on drugs, diseases, and procedures
Centerwatch Tertiary FDA website information on clinical trials; includes lists of FDA approved drugs by year
CINAHL Complete Secondary updated (interval varies)

some full-text articles available; allied health topics including nutrition/dietetics, complementary and alternative medicine; 1982-

Help page

ClinicalTrials.gov

Primary,Tertiary

regular updates, produced by the National Library of Medicine current information about clinical research studies
Commercial internet web sites Primary, Secondary, Tertiary see checklist for evaluating websites good for uncommon topics; global sources of information; inconsistent organization of information between websites leads to inefficient searching
Davis' Drug Guide Tertiary regularly published, currently 16th edition nursing-oriented; includes pronunciation audio
Drug Information Portal (NLM) Tertiary, Secondary search portal covering a number of resources including MedlinePlus, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, LactMed, etc. for consumers and health professionals
Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation (Briggs) Tertiary    
DynaMedex Tertiary, Secondary evidence-based information systematically screened, updated daily Clinical medical reference tool for diseases, disorders, symptoms, treatments, and Micromedex's evidence-based drug information
EMBASE (Drugs & Pharmacology) Secondary updated (interval varies) international in scope; focus on clinical and experimental pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics; search using natural language or thesaurus; 1990-
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) Tertiary EMEA is a decentralized body of the European Union browse the alphabetical list by brand name under List of Authorized Products OR search by brand or International Nonproprietary Name/Common Name
Factiva Secondary regularly updated; used by industry Local, regional and international newspapers, trade publications, press releases, media transcripts, and news websites.
Facts & Comparisons
Access ends November 30, 2024. Please see Collection Guide Announcement for alternative resources.
Tertiary regular updates, online version of print reference book searchable by generic and brand names, keyword
FDA Primary, Tertiary regular updates, US Government website provides information on FDA regulations, new drug approvals, public health alerts
FDA Orange Book Tertiary monthly updates, produced by the FDA

approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations

FAQ

Goodman & Gilman's: the pharmacological basis of therapeutics Tertiary updated as needed, referenced, online version of print reference book browse the Table of Contents or use Advanced Search and limit search to this textbook, bibliography links to PubMed abstracts when available, personalized account allows saving images and/or text to web or pda
Gold Standard (Clinical Key) Tertiary online versions of print reference books library of medical reference texts, practice guidelines, journals; drug information provided by Gold Standard (Elsevier)
Herbs & Supplements (MEDLINEplus) Tertiary update date stated standardized format of consumer drug information
Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide Tertiary online versions of a print reference book tailored to nurses, provides concise reviews of selected drugs; includes Clinical Nursing Considerations and Photoguide to over 400 pills and tablets
Manufacturer Index (Facts & Comparisons) Licensed for academic use only. Tertiary produced by the makers of eFacts search by company name; also contains links to their websites
Manufacturer/Product web sites Tertiary see checklist for evaluating websites always bear in mind the bias of drug manufacturers to promote their product; information usually limited to contents of package inserts
MarketResearch.com Academic Tertiary regular updates; industry resource

Market research reports for U.S. & global industries with competitive analysis, market trends, product innovation, buyer behavior and market share.

Help page

Med Facts: Patient Info (Facts & Comparisons) Licensed for academic use only. Tertiary regular updates, produced by the makers of eFacts searchable by generic and brand names, common or scientific names for natural products; English and Spanish translations
MEDLINEPlus Tertiary updates stated, authors and credentials named, produced by the National Library of Medicine extensive health information resource for consumers to professionals

Natural Medicines

Tertiary referenced, editors and credentials stated Provides high quality, evidence-based information on dietary supplements, functional foods, diets, complementary practices (modalities), exercises, and medical conditions. (Formerly Natural Standard and Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database)
Natural Products Database (Facts & Comparisons) Licensed for academic use only. Tertiary regular updates, referenced, online version of print reference book searchable by common and scientific names, keyword
Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, 9th ed (DiPiro) Tertiary updated as deemed necessary, editors and credentials stated search all of AccessPharmacy or browse textbook by core pharmacotherapy issues or organ system; contains some content only available online as part AccessPharmacy
PubMed Secondary updated daily, prepared by the National Library of Medicine

biomedical database; may include links to full-text articles, search using natural language or thesaurus; mid 1960s-

Help page

UpToDate Tertiary regular updates (stated), referenced

medical recommendations on diagnosis and treatments (including drug therapies) based on the evidence and author’s clinical experience

Help page

Westlaw Campus Research Secondary regular updates

legal information including cases, statutes and court rules, briefs, etc.

Training resources