OTC Resources Flashcards
What are two textbooks for OTC products that we should be familiar with?
- Handbook of Non Prescription Drugs (18th edition)
- The Practitioner’s Quick Reference to Non Prescription Drugs (uses algorithms, bullets, and charts–not as thorough and up to date)
What are 3 features of the Non Prescription Drug Handbook?
- general drug facts and product information
- treatment algorithms
- patient cases
(Note: Dr. Wilkinson wrote the Headache chapter)
What are the two textbooks for herbal products?
- Evidence Based Herbal Medicine
* Review of Natural Products
What are the pros and cons to the Evidence Based Herbal Medicine textbook?
- Two authors (Rotblatt and Ziment)
- Pros: includes clinical trial data and discusses background on herbal products in the US
- Cons: only reviews 65 products
What are the pros and cons to the Review of Natural Products textbooks?
- Many authors
- Pros: reviews over 350 herbals, includes documented drug interactions, and good review of chemistry and pharmacology
- Cons: does not focus on EBM
What 4 databases include OTC meds?
- Lexicomp
- Micromedex
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Epocrates
What is the best database source for herbal products?
*Natural Medicines (previously Natural Standard). It is owned by the Therapeutic Research Center
What are some features of Natural Medicines database?
- interaction checker
- nutrient depletion checker
- adverse effects
- pregnancy and lactation
- patient handouts
What is the herbal rating system from best to worst?
Effective, likely effective, possibly effective, possibly ineffective, likely ineffective, ineffective.
What other herbal resource is there? It is through NIH from the office of dietary supplements?
*National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
It is free, compilation of data is available, practice guidelines available–but there is limited information and it is time consuming.
What is the FDA website a good source for?
- recalls
- OTC drug approval process
- OTC and dietary supplement regulations
- educational materials like the orange book, medwatch, and Vrade
What is medwatch?
Where you report adverse drug events
What is Vrade?
Vaccine reporting adverse drug events
What sources will help you to stay up to date on OTC medications?
- APhA Drug Info Line (self care)
- APhA annual meeting (includes CE on OTCs)
- Pharmacist’s Letter
- Magazines (Drug Topics, Pharmacy Today, Pharmacy Times)
What is included in Pharmacy Today magazine?
Has an annual supplement that review the most commonly recommended products