Transcript Bacaan untuk farkLin _ Drug Information: A Guide for

Drug Information: A Guide for Pharmacists>Chapter 4. Drug Information
Resources>
INTRODUCTION
The quantity of medical information and medical literature available is growing at
an astounding rate. The technology by which this information can be accessed is
also improving exponentially. The introduction of PDAs and Internet resources has
to some extent changed the methods by which information is accessed, but not the
process of providing drug information.
Pharmacists are being asked daily to provide responses to numerous drug
information requests for a variety of people. It is tempting just to select the easiest,
most familiar resources to find information; however, by doing that there is the
possibility of missing new resources or limiting the comprehensiveness of the
information found. It is for these reasons that the systematic approach discussed in
is helpful in order to streamline the search process.
Generally, the best method to find information includes a stepwise approach
moving first through tertiary (e.g., textbooks, full-text databases, and review
articles), then secondary (e.g., indexing or abstracting service), and finally primary
(e.g., clinical studies) literature. The tertiary sources will provide the practitioner
with general information needed to familiarize the reader with the topic. If this
information is not recent or comprehensive enough, a secondary database may be
employed to direct the reader to review primary literature articles that might
provide more insight on the topic. Primary literature often provides the most recent