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Drug Information At Your Fingertips: A Guide to Instant Access
United States Food and Drug Administration
Pharmaceutical Companies
Regulatory Agencies in Other Countries
Other Useful Resources
Publications
- United States Food and Drug Administration
-
www.fda.gov/cder
- Phone: 800-532-4440
- This is the page for the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. By clicking on the drug information icon, you can choose from a number of pharmaceutical-related FDA programs. You can also get information on newly approved drugs from the Consumer Drug Information Page and access the MEDWatch site from the drug info page. (Direct access to MEDWatch: www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html or 800-FDA-1088.) Especially interesting is the Annual Adverse Drug Experience Report, which has the names of any drug which is considered to be potentially dangerous and the number of adverse reactions that have been reported.
- Phone: 800-532-4440
Pharmaceutical Companies
Each industry website has a search engine where you can type in the name of your medicine and get all of the information on the website concerning it. Most of the sites provide package inserts for their newer drugs on-line, but you can also call the numbers listed below to order a copy of the package insert and any other literature published by the company.
- Abbott Laboratories
- www.abbott.com
- Phone: 800-222-6883
- Fax: 847-938-0644
- Phone: 800-222-6883
- Agouron Pharmaceuticals
- www.agouron.com
- Phone: 888-847-2237
- Fax: 619-678-8266
- Phone: 888-847-2237
- American Home Products
- www.ahp.com
- Phone: 800-322-3129 (for OTC products: Whitehall Robins, Cyanamid)
- 800-934-5556 (for prescription products: Wyeth Ayerst)
- Phone: 800-322-3129 (for OTC products: Whitehall Robins, Cyanamid)
- Bayer
- www.bayerus.com/products/index.html
- Phone: 800-229-3727
- Fax: 203-812-6516
- Fax: 203-812-6516
- Bristol-Meyers Squibb
- www.bms.com
- Phone: 800-332-2056
- Fax: 609-897-6859
- Phone: 800-332-2056
- Eli Lilly & Co.
- www.lilly.com
- Phone: 800-545-5979
- Phone: 800-545-5979
- Glaxo-Wellcome
- www.glaxowellcome.co.uk
- Phone: 800-722-9292
- Phone: 800-722-9292
- Hoechst Marion Roussel
- www.hmri.com
- Phone: 800-552-3656
- Phone: 800-552-3656
- Johnson & Johnson (includes access to various Ortho, McNeil and Janssen divisions)
- www.johnsonandjohnson.com/who_is_jnj/opsites_index.html
- Phone: 800-682-6532
- Phone: 800-682-6532
- Merck & Co.
- www.merck.com
- Phone: 800-672-6372
- Phone: 800-672-6372
- Novartis
- www.novartis.com/index.html
- Phone: 888-644-8585
- Fax: 973-781-8265
- Phone: 888-644-8585
- Pfizer
- www.pfizer.com
- Phone: 800-438-1985
- Phone: 800-438-1985
- Rhone-Poulenc Rorer
- www.rpr.rpna.com
- Roche
- www.roche.com/pharma/Index.htm
- Phone: 800-526-6367
- Phone: 800-526-6367
- Schering-Plough
- www.sch-plough.com
- Phone: 800-656-9485
- Phone: 800-656-9485
- GD Searle & Co.
- www.searlehealthnet.com
- Phone: 800-323-4204
- Phone: 800-323-4204
- SmithKline Beecham
- www.sb.com
- Phone: 888-299-3692
- Phone: 888-299-3692
- Solvay Pharmaceuticals
- www.solvay.com
- Phone 800-241-1643
- Phone 800-241-1643
- Warner-Lambert (includes Parke-Davis)
- www.warner-lambert.com
- Phone: 800-223-0432
- Phone: 800-223-0432
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA):
- www.phrma.org
- Phone: 202-835-3400
- Fax: 202-835-3414
- Phone: 202-835-3400
Regulatory Agencies in Other Countries
- United Kingdom: Medicines Control Agency
- www.open.gov.uk/mca/mcahome.htm
- Canada: HealthCanada
- www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/htmleng/dpd.html
- This site allows you to search for drugs approved for use in Canada (mostly the same ones available in the U.S.) and get dosage information as well as the generic name and the manufacturer. It can be helpful when researching to see if you have been prescribed a commonly used drug and dosage.
- This site allows you to search for drugs approved for use in Canada (mostly the same ones available in the U.S.) and get dosage information as well as the generic name and the manufacturer. It can be helpful when researching to see if you have been prescribed a commonly used drug and dosage.
- Japan: Japanese Pharmacopeia (in English)
- www.mediagalaxy.co.jp/TEST/KOSEISHO/JP-HomeE.html
- South Africa: South African Medicines Control Council
- home.intekom.com/pharm
Other Useful Resources
- U.S. Pharmacopeia
- www.usp.org
- Phone: 800-822-8772
- Click on the "drug information" icon and you'll be linked to USP's Useful Patient Information on Medicines page, which allows you to search your drug (by generic name only) and get warnings, precautions and prescribing information. Their "Just Ask" site (www.usp.org/pubs/just_ask/index.htm) provides helpful general information about proper medication use and allows you to request their printed material.
- Phone: 800-822-8772
- Bitter Pills Hotline: Georgetown University Medical Center Pharmacology Department
- www.dml.georgetown.edu/depts/pharmacology
- Phone: 202-687-2882
- Since the publication of Bitter Pills, Dave Flockhart and the Georgetown University Medical School clin-pharm staff have been inundated with questions about ADRs and requests for consultations and physician referrals. They are very generous with their time and expertise, but they cannot treat patients over the phone and they cannot legally dispense medical advice into states where they are not licensed. For this reason, they are likely to initially refer you to a clinical pharmacologist at an academic medical center near where you live. (Keep in mind that if you've already had a drug reaction and have stopped taking the medication, you're less likely to need a clinical pharmacologist than a specialist in the type of symptoms you've been having--like a psychopharmacologist or neurologist for CNS symptoms, or a cardiologist for heart symptoms.) Georgetown's Bitter Pills Hotline website is now set up to take questions primarily from physicians, and generally directs patients to the FDA. The site also provides access to Flockhart's Cytochrome p450 web site to help physicians prevent drug interactions by cross-referencing new information, updated monthly, about how different medicines are metabolized in different cytochrome p450 pathways in the liver.
- Phone: 202-687-2882
- Clinical Pharmacology Online
- www.cponline.gsm.com
- This excellent, easy-to-use site allows you to search a drug by generic or brand name and returns a page with its chemical structure, how it works and a general description of its effects on the body.
- This excellent, easy-to-use site allows you to search a drug by generic or brand name and returns a page with its chemical structure, how it works and a general description of its effects on the body.
- Department of Health and Human Services
- www.os.dhhs.gov/
- This site has a link to the DHHS's Healthfinder site ( www.healthfinder.gov), which is one of the best new sites to provide patients with information of courses of treatment, health care professionals and support groups in your area.
- This site has a link to the DHHS's Healthfinder site ( www.healthfinder.gov), which is one of the best new sites to provide patients with information of courses of treatment, health care professionals and support groups in your area.
- MedHelp International
- medhlp.netusa.net/index.htm
- This is one of the best and most comprehensive sites on the Internet for medical research by consumers. It has links to medical libraries, a Q&A forum and excellent chat rooms.
- This is one of the best and most comprehensive sites on the Internet for medical research by consumers. It has links to medical libraries, a Q&A forum and excellent chat rooms.
- Pharmaceutical Information Network Page
- pharminfo.com
- This site provides links to forums and discussion groups on particular infections and diseases.
- This site provides links to forums and discussion groups on particular infections and diseases.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control
- www.cdc.gov
- Phone: 404-639-3311
- This site provides information on all of the CDC's disease-oriented drug initiatives.
- Phone: 404-639-3311
- World Health Organization
- www.who.org
- By running the term "essential drugs" in the search engine, you can bring up the WHO's Essential Drugs Monitor, which provides readers throughout the world with news about the very latest national drug policies, drug regulation programs and information about rational use of drugs.
- By running the term "essential drugs" in the search engine, you can bring up the WHO's Essential Drugs Monitor, which provides readers throughout the world with news about the very latest national drug policies, drug regulation programs and information about rational use of drugs.
- U.S. National Institutes of Health
- www.nih.gov
- This is an excellent page for researching pharmaceuticals, since the NIH now offers a number of free research links for users, including the National Library of Medicine ( www.nlm.nih.gov). It is also a good site to visit when looking for national organizations for various illnesses.
- This is an excellent page for researching pharmaceuticals, since the NIH now offers a number of free research links for users, including the National Library of Medicine ( www.nlm.nih.gov). It is also a good site to visit when looking for national organizations for various illnesses.
- MEDLINE
- www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/freemedl.html
- This search engine allows you to search some 250 medical journals for information about specific health topics and pharmaceuticals, as well as to access other search engines such as AIDSLINE, HealthSTAR and TOXLINE which provide more directed specific searches. The page includes information on how to use the system. For a more user-friendly tutorial on how to use MEDLINE, Dr. Felix's Free MEDLINE Page ( www.docnet.org.uk/drfelix) has several easy-to-use tutorials, as well as access to other sites where MEDLINE is available at no cost and in several languages.
- This search engine allows you to search some 250 medical journals for information about specific health topics and pharmaceuticals, as well as to access other search engines such as AIDSLINE, HealthSTAR and TOXLINE which provide more directed specific searches. The page includes information on how to use the system. For a more user-friendly tutorial on how to use MEDLINE, Dr. Felix's Free MEDLINE Page ( www.docnet.org.uk/drfelix) has several easy-to-use tutorials, as well as access to other sites where MEDLINE is available at no cost and in several languages.
- Office of Alternative Medicine
- altmed.od.nih.gov
- Phone: 888-644-6226
- This site provides information on alternate courses of treatment for various illnesses. DO NOT seek the therapies provided on this site without first consulting a physician.
- Phone: 888-644-6226
- Heathcare Communications Group
- www.medscape.com
- This is one of the top providers of information on AIDS drugs.
- This is one of the top providers of information on AIDS drugs.
- Medicine Online
- www.meds.com
- This site is geared toward cancer drugs and provides information about new or alternative treatment options.
Publications
- New England Journal of Medicine
- www.nejm.org
- Phone: 800-843-6356
- Fax: 781-893-0413
- This site allows you to see abstracts from the current journal and search the past issue archives. You can only read an abstract online, but you have the option of ordering the full text article over the web.
- Phone: 800-843-6356
- American Medical Association (includes JAMA)
- www.ama-assn.org/public/journals/jama/jamahome.htm
- Phone: 312-670-7827
- Fax: 312-464-5831
- The AMA provides abstracts from JAMA's current issue, as well as an archive that allows you to download abstracts going back four years. You can request full text of the articles online or by phone or fax for a small fee.
- Phone: 312-670-7827
- British Medical Journal
- www.bmj.com/bmj/
- You can read the full text version of the latest journal on this site and you can search the archives by keyword and get full text of older articles.
- You can read the full text version of the latest journal on this site and you can search the archives by keyword and get full text of older articles.
- The Lancet
- www.thelancet.com