LibGuides: RETIRED Pharmacy Program Guide: Drug Information Sources

Where to start?

Find the right information resource for categories of drug questions

Use Drug Databases to:

get information on how to safely use individual drugs (drug monographs)
- FDA drug labels provide free access to this information
check for interactions
check IV compatibility
identify pills
major drug databases comparison chart

Use medical quick references or reference books (like DiPiro's Pharmacotherapy) to:

get an overview of a disease or condition
get on overview of treatment options

Use Clinical Practice Guidelines to:

identify the therapeutic & diagnostic standards for specific conditions

Use clinical trials and other research articles to:

identify new treatments in development and investigational drugs
find research relevant to a complex or specific clinical situation or patient
background research or literature review on a topic

Check for mobile apps

Prepare for journal club

Drug Information Databases

Clinical Pharmacology This link opens in a new window
Drug monographs, interaction checkers, IV compatibility, clinical calculators, drug ID and more.
Mobile access information.

Lexicomp Online This link opens in a new window
Drug monographs, interaction checkers, IV compatibility, clinical calculators, drug ID and more.
Student discounts on Lexicomp Handheld.

Micromedex This link opens in a new window
Drug monographs, drug prices (Red Book), interaction checkers, IV compatibility, clinical calculators, drug ID and more.
Mobile access information Pharmacy Mobile Apps.

Natural Medicines This link opens in a new window
Evidence-based summaries on alternative and complementary medicine including foods, herbs, supplements, brands and manufacturers, interaction checker and pregnancy and lactation information.

USP-NF United States Pharmacopeia-National Formulary
An e-book of public pharmacopeial standards for medicines, dosage forms, drug substances, excipients, medical devices, and dietary supplements.
Click here to register for a USP account
Existing users click here to log in

Drug Information Websites

ASHP Drug Shortages
Drug product shortages and management information from American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).
Consumer Product Information Database
Consumer and household products, including ingredients, potential health effects, safe handling and disposal.
DailyMed
Drug listings and full label information (package inserts) from the FDA.
Dietary Supplement Label Database
Dietary supplement labels with product information, ingredients, and manufacturing.
Drugs.com Pill Identifier
Read the terms and accept them to use this site.
Drugs@FDA
FDA Approved Drug Products.
Patient information, labels, approval letters, reviews, and other information for drug products approved since 1998. Provides most of the drug products approved since 1939.
FDA Drug Shortages
Current and resolved drug shortages and discontinuations as reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
LactMed
Reference source for drugs to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. Among the data included are maternal and infant levels of drugs, possible effects on breastfed infants and on lactation, and alternate drugs to consider.
LiverTox
Information on the diagnosis, cause, frequency, patterns, and management of liver injury attributable to prescription and nonprescription medications, herbals and dietary supplements.
National Drug Code Directory (NDCs)
The NDC maintained by the FDA serves as universal product identifier for human drugs.
Orange Book FDA
Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations. The products approved under section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Includes a current listing of approved generic products.

Patient Safety

FDA Investigational New Drug Application (IND)
Instructions for submitting an emergency IND.
The Infection Prevention and Control Portal - The Joint Comission
Standards for processes, practices, policies, and procedures relating to infection control. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
Safety alerts
Confused drug names
Do not crush list
High alert medications
Plus guidelines, continuing education, and more.
MedWatch
FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) - CDC
The CDC's weekly reports on public health information and recommendations.
National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) - The Joint Commission
Patient safety goals for accredited institutions.The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.
Check their patent safety fact sheets for a "Do Not Use" list of abbreviations.

Drug Compendia Comparison Chart

All of these Drug Compendia (databases) include:

Drug monographs: synthesized evidence-based reports of critical drug information including but not limited to indications for use, dosing, classification, administration, adverse reactions, contraindications, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, interactions, monitoring, etc.
Pediatric drug monographs: drug monographs for neonates through adolescents
Interaction reports/checkers: tools to identify potential interactions between substances. Some include options for food, alcohol, grapefruit juice, etc.
IV compatibility: tools to check whether or not IV drugs will interact during administration (particulates, turbidity, stability, etc.)
Drug Identifier: identification of tables/capsules through visual markings, colors, shapes, etc.

Last Updated 10/21/2021
	Clinical Pharmacology	Facts & Comparisons	LexiComp	Micromedex
Beers Drug List/Criteria (Medication Use in Older Adults)	Three dots under “Lists” & link at top of drug monographs	NO	Search for “beers criteria”	Search for “beers criteria”
(Black) Box Warnings	Three dots under “Lists” & link at top of drug monographs	In the “References” box & near the start of the drug monograph	Top of drug monograph	Under “Resources” and in drug monograph
Briggs Drugs in Pregnancy & Lactation	NO - Has a pediatric monograph tab at the top of the main drug monograph	Link under the "Reproduction/Pregnancy/Lactation" section of the drug monograph	In search results list when you search for a drug & link under the "Reproduction, Pregnancy, & Lactation" section of the drug monograph	NO
Calculators	Under “Resources”	Under “More Clinical Tools” on the top bar	Top bar	Under “Other Tools”
Do not crush/chew list	Under “Lists”	In the “References” box	Search for “do not crush”	Search for “do not crush”
Drug identifier	Under “Resources”	On the top bar	On the top bar	On the top bar
Interaction checker	Under “Reports"	On the top bar	On the top bar	On the top bar
IV compatibility	Under “Reports"	On the top bar (Trissel's)	On the top bar (Trissel's)	On the top bar
Mobile App	Yes, free for Roseman students & faculty.	Mobile friendly site design. No app.	Yes, not free for students. Academic discount link in database.	Yes, free for Roseman students & faculty.
Pricing information	NO	NO	In drug monograph under “Preparations”	“Other Tools” > “Red Book” and as a link at the right side in drug monographs
Pronunciation sound files	NO	In drug monographs	In drug monographs	NO
REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies)	Three dots under “Lists” & link at top of drug monographs	In drug monograph	In drug monograph	In drug monograph
Special Feature	Link to the Harriet Lane Handbook on pediatric care and drug dosages. Three dots under "Resources."	Under "Drug Reports" on the top bar are report builders for drugs by indication, contraindication, and adverse reaction	Relevant Clinical Practice Guidelines are listed in a section just below "Uses" in the drug monograph	Drug comparison (top bar) allows for side by side viewing of multiple drug monographs at the same time
Special Feature	TOXED - Clinical information for drug, plant, mushroom, etc. toxic exposure and overdose. Three dots under "Resources."	Lexi-Tox - Monographs on toxicity. Under "More Clinical Tools" on the top bar.	Multiple types of drug monographs when searching a drug including Lexi-Drugs, AHFS, Geriatric, Pediatric, Briggs, Lexi-Tox, and more.	Tox & Drug Product - drug and household product toxicology information. Click on "POISINDEX Managements" links for in depth information
Special Feature	Drug Class Overviews. Three dots under "Resources."		Dental uses and information listed near the end of the drug monograph	Change search to "Disease" to find a brief clinical overview of the disease state

Resources by Topical Category

Category	Resource (Roseman licensed & free)
General, Product-Related	Drug Databases; (free option) Drug Information Portal; Package Inserts (DailyMed – official FDA label database)
Adverse effect	Drug Databases; UpToDate
Administration, Drug	Drug Databases
Antimicrobial Therapy	The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy; Drug Databases
Bioequivalence	(free option) FDA Orange Book
Calculators (pharmaceutical; medical)	Drug Databases; UpToDate; (free options) GlobalRPh; MDCalc
Clinical Trials, Investigational Drugs	Cochrane trial registry; (free options) PubMed; Clinicaltrials.gov
Comparative Tables	Micromedex
Contraindications	Drug Databases; UpToDate
Compounding	Trissel's Stability of Compounded Formulation; USP-NF (see above for access); Remington’s; Martindale’s
Cost	Micromedex – Red Book; LexiComp; UpToDate (via LexiComp integration); (free option) GoodRX.com
Dietary/Herbal Supplements	Natural Medicines; Drug Databases; (free options) Dietary Supplement Label Database; FDA Dietary Supplements
Diseases, Diagnosis	UpToDate; DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy; Harrison’s Internal Medicine; ClinicalKey – Clinical Overviews; (free option) Merck Manual Professional
Dosage	Drug Databases; (by condition) Clinical Practice Guidelines; (free option) DailyMed – official FDA label database
Drug Identification	Drug Databases; (free option) Drug.com
Drug Interactions	Drug Databases;
Foreign/International Drugs	(free options) Drugs.com International; Canadian Drug Product Database; European Medicines Agency; WHO International Pharmacopoeia
Immunization Schedules	(Free option) CDC Immunization Schedules – also available as an app
IV Compatibility	Drug Databases; Handbook of Injectable Drugs
Nonprescription/Over-the-Counter products	Drug Databases; Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs
Patient Counseling/Education	Drug Databases; UpToDate; (free option) MedlinePlus and MedlinePlus Spanish
Pharmacokinetics	Drug Databases
Pharmacotherapeutics (see also Therapeutics)	Applied Therapeutics; DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy; Goodman & Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics; Basic & Clinical Pharmacology
Pharmacy/Medical News	Pharmaceutical News Index; (free options) Prescriber's Letter; Pharmacy Times
Pregnancy/Lactation	Drugs in Pregnancy & Lactation (Briggs) – also available via LexiComp; (free option) LactMed
Therapeutics (see also Pharmacotherapeutics)	(General) UpToDate; (Condition specific) Clinical Practice Guidelines
Toxicology/Poisoning	LiverTox; Consumer Product Information Database; Drug Databases – Toxicology sections