Sladen Blog

Drug Information Resources

The Sladen Library provides access to excellent drug and pharmacology information resources. Our two main drug databases are Micromedex and Clinical Pharmacology. Let’s take a look at each one:

Micromedex

The evidence-based, point-of-care drug resource was recently acquired by IBM and offers a new AI feature called Watson Assist. With Watson Assist, you can ask the supercomputer questions related to drug information (such as dosing or interactions) in a natural, conversational way and receive answers. “Ask Watson” is available from a search box on the main Micromedex page, or from a chat link at the bottom right of every Micromedex page. Here's a screenshot of Watson Assist in action:

Micromedex continues to be available as a free mobile app to all HFHS users. To use, download the “IBM Micromedex Drug Ref” app from your app store, then go to Micromedex from the Sladen website to obtain the mobile password. IBM Micromedex Drug Interactions and IV Compatibility are also available as separate apps.

Clinical Pharmacology

Clinical Pharmacology is another evidence-based, point-of-care drug reference tool that provides information on dosing, indications, adverse reactions, and more. The ability to build drug interaction reports, check IV compatibility, build a clinical comparison report, identify pills based on physical characteristics, and use clinical calculators are just some of its additional tools.

Like Micromedex, Clinical Pharmacology is also available as a mobile app, although its 1.5+ GB size may deter some users handing over that much real estate on their mobile device. However, if you’re interested in the Clinical Pharmacology mobile app, detailed instructions for setting up your mobile account can be found on the Drug Resources page of our Mobile Guide.

Other resources:

• UpToDate includes a select set of more than 6,000 drug and drug-interaction information monographs from the Lexicomp database. UpToDate drug information can be found by typing a drug name into the search box or by following links within disease pages to detailed drug summaries.
• ClinicalKey and ClinicalKey for Nursing both offer drug monographs. You can filter the A-Z list by drug class, adverse reaction, indication, and contraindication.
• Medication and Mothers’ Milk Online is the electronic version of Hale's reference for evaluating medication use in breastfeeding mothers.
• Natural Medicines is the authority on integrative and alternative medicine. The site features an extensive collection of evidence-based monographs on the efficacy of foods, herbs, supplements, and natural medicines.
• About Herbs is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's free online database featuring health care professional and patient-level information on the usage of herbs and dietary supplements specifically as they relate to cancer patients and/or interact with cancer medicines.
• Davis’s Drug Guide for Nurses is available at the library as both a print and online eBook. Davis’s features thousands of drug monographs with special focus on the nursing implications of drugs.
• Complete listing of Sladen drug databases
• Drug mobile apps