(2004; 45 pages)
Using tertiary sources
The easiest and quickest way to find drug information is to consult major, comprehensive reference texts such as Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference, British national formulary or American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Drug Information.
However, some of the disadvantages of textbooks should be borne in mind when retrieving drug or therapeutic information for the NF, i.e.
• Even in the latest reference books, some of the information (frequently that on management of diseases) can be 1-2 years out of date by the time the book is available to the reader. In the case of therapies where our knowledge is rapidly evolving, e.g. antiretroviral therapy, information from tertiary sources may prove to be inadequate. Frequently published manuals, such as the British national formulary, are an exception, as they are updated much more quickly than standard textbooks.
• Some reference texts such as the Physician’s desk reference or monthly index of medical specialties (MIMS) basically contain manufacturers' literature with potentially limited information (9, 10). It is important to bear in mind that manufacturers pay for the inclusion of their product information in these publications and often generic products are under-represented, whereas the latest expensive branded products dominate. Any information extracted from these sources must be carefully validated against other independent texts.