HSLS Update

MICROMEDEX vs. Clinical Pharmacology

HSLS subscribes to two major full text drug resources for your use.  MICROMEDEX and Clinical Pharmacology, both authoritative sources, provide full text drug monographs for FDA-approved, investigational, nonprescription, and herbal drug products. In general, both products provide drug monographs and patient drug information handouts, in addition to tools for drug identification, IV compatibility, lab references, and single/multiple drug interactions. Both resources offer downloads for PDA use through the HSLS subscription. While there are similarities between the types of information provided by these two databases, there are noteworthy differences.

MICROMEDEX is composed of specialized databases and online books. When a general search is conducted in MICROMEDEX, the search is run through individual specialized databases, material safety data sheets, and online reference books including the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), United States pharmacopeia dispensing information (USP DI), and Martindale: the complete drug reference.  In MICROMEDEX, the drug comparison tool is limited to a side-by-side table comparison of content from DRUGDEX, one of the specialized databases. MICROMEDEX has more variety in ancillary tools such as dosing, antidote dosing nomograms, dietary guidelines reference, clinical calculators, lab values, measurement calculators and conversions, immunization tables, and pediatric and pregnancy references. The DISEASEDEX database, also a component of the MICROMEDEX product, provides a concise review of information on emergency topics, as well as certain tests and procedures.

Clinical Pharmacology is a single database as compared to the MICROMEDEX product.  Clinical Pharmacology’s drug comparison function is more sophisticated, with options to customize the comparison table. Criteria available for customizing your selection include indications, contraindications, interactions, or adverse reactions. Additionally, Clinical Pharmacology offers a product comparison tool with a unique feature to retrieve a list of products for a particular drug given selected allergy or dietary restriction criteria such as sugar free, alcohol free, latex free, sodium free, dye free, and others. Additional unique features of Clinical Pharmacology are warnings of therapeutic duplication, a multivitamin comparison chart, patent information, and a quiz study aid. 

MICROMEDEX and Clinical Pharmacology are available from the HSLS Databases by Title Web page at <www.hsls.pitt.edu/resources/databases/titles>.  Links to tutorials are available from each of these products’ main search pages, or contact the HSLS reference desk at 412-648-8796 or medlibq@pitt.edu with questions.

--Ahlam Saleh