From listening to many of our library patrons and from monitoring various listservs, ePocrates appears to be the PDA drug database of choice. It is also one of the best free PDA resources. Now ePocrates has ventured into providing a commercially available upgraded version of this popular resource, called ePocrates Rx Pro.
ePocrates is an independently developed resource designed specifically for PDAs. There are over 2700 drug monographs available on both current versions of ePocrates. A group of pharmacists and other clinicians comprise the development team that reviews the current drug information provided. This PDA resource has evolved with time, with the biggest change recently occurring as a result of the new, expanded commercial version.
As for the drug monographs, the information provided includes adult and pediatric dosing information, contraindications, drug interactions, adverse reactions, and cost information. Additionally, information about pregnancy and lactation safety, metabolism and excretion, and DEA and FDA prescription requirements are listed. Both versions are fully searchable, with up to 30 drugs simultaneously.
One of the biggest changes is that the qID module (infectious disease treatment) is now available only on the commercial version. The information in the drug monographs, daily auto updates, and the e-mail alerting system (DocAlert) remain the same in the free version of this database, ePocrates Rx 6.0. The interface has changed slightly, with prompts to upgrade to the commercial version if you try to access a feature not available on the free version.
Formularies are available on both versions. Almost all of the formularies are from insurance companies or health plans and, for those of you who regularly deal with a particular insurance company or health plan, this could be a useful tool.
ePocrates Rx Pro is available for an introductory offer of $49.99 per year. I have not downloaded it, so I am unable to review it, but I can tell you what has been added. In addition to moving the qID to this version, there is also an alternative medicine module, a clinical table and guidelines module, and a medical calculator. At this time ePocrates Rx Pro is only available for the Palm OS, with a Pocket PC version currently in development.
ePocrates is an excellent drug resource, even though it is only available in PDA format. As I have said before, you should load more than one drug resource on your PDA, since each resource has unique properties and shortcomings. Many of the programs can be searched quickly, so most clinical situations should allow you enough time to review information from at least two drug databases.
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