Reviews of free PDA drug databases have appeared in the JEFFLINE Forum over the last year. The following is an update to reflect recent changes to some of these resources. Links to the original reviews appear below.
ePocrates – (Reviewed March 2003)
For those of you with a Pocket PC operating system, the good news is that this version of ePocrates is now available. Otherwise, there are no changes to report.
Johns Hopkins ABX Guide – (Reviewed June-July 2002)
In addition to the Palm OS and Windows CE versions that were previously available, Pocket PC and BlackBerry versions are now available. There have been no real changes to the database interface or content.
Mobile Micromedex – (Reviewed March 2002)
As of March 2003, a new version of Mobile Micromedex has been released. The content has not changed a great deal, but an auto update feature has been added. There have been a few changes to the interface, making it easier to use.
The big change is that you are now required register prior to downloading. This registration process is very confusing because the instructions are designed for individual subscribers to Micromedex. Instructions for users of an institutional Micromedex subscription, such as we have at Jefferson, are not really provided. The first thing that you will notice when attempting to download the database, is that you are told to have your Customer Number ready. This does not apply to Jefferson institutional users, so just ignore this step and click on the URL to begin the process.
Since the download/installation instructions are so confusing, the Scott Library staff has developed an FAQ to assist you with downloading this valuable drug database. By following these instructions, you should have minimal difficulty installing Mobile Micromedex to your PDA.
Mobile PDR – (Reviewed December 2002)
The requirement that you be a clinician with prescribing rights has not changed, with the exception that medical students may now download this database. Since the author was only given a month's trial of the database for review purposes, we have no new information on this product.
Tarascon ePharmacopoeia – (Reviewed October 2002)
When Medscape merged with Web MD, it stopped providing the Tarascon ePharmacopoeia. Now Tarascon Publishing is providing it directly from its own website. The database is available for free while in beta testing. However, there will be an annual subscription fee of $25 when the full version is available.
At this writing there are no new free PDA Drug Databases to report. It is always a challenge to stay up to date with this constantly changing technology. Please inform the author if you find that we have missed any significant developments.
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