Using Drug References

Many medical professionals use drug references on smartphones such as Blackberry and iPhone. Although our curriculum does not require such references, many student pharmacists are interested in them and seek information about how to use them. This page describes how to get started using these drug references.

About drug references

Many different kinds of drug databases exist, but not all are available for all devices. The markets for smartphones and drug reference software change frequently. Below we list some popular software titles. Visit each one to determine current product offerings and system requirements.

Drug reference vendors and software

1. Epocrates - for BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch, Palm, Windows Mobile; free version available, can upgrade to a paid version with more features
2. Lexi - for BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod Touch, Palm, Pocket PC, and Windows Mobile; the School provides Year 3 and Year 4 students with a license for Lexi-Select, a collection of their most popular databases; UCSF Medical Center uses the web version of Lexi software.
3. mobileMICROMEDEX - UCSF Medical Center also uses this
4. Skyscape: DrDrugs and RxDrugs
5. Thomson Clinical Xpert for Palm OS and Pocket PC
6. WebMD Mobile for iPhone and iPod Touch

How much memory will I need?

The amount of memory (RAM) your smartphone or handheld computer will need depends on the requirements of the software you plan to use. Check each product's memory requirements to determine the minimum amount of memory you will need.

Getting more advice

To get the latest and best advice, ask those you know and trust:

• your classmates (especially P3s and P4s)
• your instructors or preceptors
• your doctor or pharmacist
• your student and faculty colleagues in other schools and programs
• our alumni

If possible, try out a proposed hardware or software purchase in person.

More information

• GoMobile - Why go mobile?, Find your perfect device, additional resources

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