Best Drug Information Apps for Nurses

By ThriveAP Intern and Nursing Student Olivia De Filippo

As a nursing student, I am probably most terrified of misdiagnosing or mistreating a patient, or for that matter even a patient simulator. There are thousands of known diseases in the world today and there are even more medications with which to treat them. Naturally, over time, I am bound to mix up a few of them.

To prevent these mix ups there are two apps I use as my go to resources for medication questions that quickly provide me with the necessary information such as adverse reactions, black box warnings, pediatric dosing, adult dosing, and much more. Here are my two favorite drug information apps:

Epocrates

This is a free app that can be used on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Epocrates provides prescribing and safety information for brand name, generic, and over the counter drugs. Using the app, you can look up potentially harmful drug-drug interactions for up to 30 drugs at a time and can identify medications by their imprint code and physical characteristics. The app also provides access to recent medical news and research. Epocrates’ related sister apps, “Bugs and Drugs”, “Echocardiography Atlas”, and “Seattle Heart Failure Risk Calc” are also handy resources.

Free Micromedex Drug Reference

The Free Micromedex Drug Reference is included free of charge to those who have an online subscription to Micromedex 2.0 Products. If you are not already a subscriber, don’t fret, there is also a nonsubscriber version of the app, Micromedex Drug Reference Essentials, you can purchase for just $2.99/year. Internet connection is not needed for this app so you can use it anytime, anywhere. Micromedex is easy to use and provides information such as mechanism of action, generic drug names, common trade names, dosing information and more. Multiple Micromedex sister apps, including “Drug Interaction”, “IV Compatibility”, “Pediatric Essentials”, and “Neofax Essentials” also offer help with medication related questions.

Remember, the next time you find yourself confused about all of the medications on the market today you are not alone. Fortunately, there are many apps to assist us in finding accurate drug information in a quick and convenient manner.

Did you miss Olivia’s last article? Check out her thoughts on Top NCLEX Preparation Apps.