Internet, drug information

Ling CA. Guiding patients through the maze of drug information on the Internet. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 56 212-214, 1999. 

Iowa Drug Information Service (IDIS), [Internet]. URL http //www.uiowa.edu/ idis/, accessed 9-23-2000. 

RxList The Internet Drug Index http //www.rxlist.com/ script/ main/hp.asp Alphabetically index of drugs (trade name only). giving detailed information, including structure, indications, safety. Provides a ranked list of the top 200 most prescribed drugs. 

The Drug Information Centre should always be available by telephone, but can also answer inquiries by mail, e-mail, Internet based formularies or by functions integrated into local technical systems, such as computerised medical records. 

The Internet is already the main source of drug information for many patients. They will relate to, and ask about, this information when they meet health professionals. Not only can the Internet be a source of information about drugs. Recently, our centre has dealt with several cases of severe side-effects from unregistered drugs purchased over the Internet. 

Christopher is exploring the drug culture on the Internet. He enjoys the trippy, groovy information that is available. Sometime he watches croaky frogs that are part of a beer ad. He knows that much online drug information is not true, and he is wary of chat lines. 

Bogenschutz, M. P., Drug information libraries on the Internet , Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 32, 249-258 (2000). 

Drug Information Association. (Internet at http // www.diahome.org.)... 

Member companies shall fully realise that brochures, advertisements in medical journals, internet web pages for the medical profession, audiovisual materials such as slides and video tape-recording, and other promotional materials are important media in dissemination of drug information, and they must produce and use those materials in compliance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and relevant selfregulations. The statements contained in these materials must be correct, fair and objective, based on scientific data. 

The Drug Information Framework enables developers to build healthcare solutions faster, using the time-tested NDDF Plus knowledge base and critical decision-support modules. The Framework gives developers a choice of technologies and access layers, so it can adapt to most platforms, operating systems, development tools, and relational databases. Application environments can include the Internet client/server networks stand-alone desktops and handheld wireless devices. 

RxWeb provides instant access to drug information, navigation capabilities, and clinical-screening functionality over the Internet. Using the latest Web browser technology, RxWeb enables the developer to offer proven drug screening (via NDDF Plus) with little or no... 

Additional resources that pharmacists can use for information about unlabeled indications include medical and pharmacy textbooks, handbooks, journals, electronic databases, and the Internet. Although the Internet can be a useful resource for finding information, many sites offer unreferenced information, often with unsubstantiated claims. Drug information services staffed by pharmacists trained in the retrieval, interpretation, and dissemination of medical literature are excellent resources for determining if an unlabeled use of a drug is appropriate. 

As previously noted, it is essential that the oncology pharmacist be well versed in the pharmacotherapy-based management of severe pain, infection, and the nausea, vomiting, and fatigue associated with chemotherapy. The provision of contemporary and valid drug information to patients and families is essential, as is assistance in helping with the interpretation of information that patients and loved ones secure either through their health care providers or independently (e.g., from the Internet). 

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