Internet Drug Index

Overview

RxList is a HealthCentral.com Network Site offering in-depth information on thousands of drugs. The RxList database consists primarily of products that are already on the US market, or those that are close to approval.

Content

This site offers a variety of search engines to the user, making it fully searchable, from several different routes. The keyword search allows you to search through all the RxList Monographs and all the RxList Alternatives for indications, symptoms, side effects, drug interactions. The Top%20200 Prescriptions (1995-1999) was recently added with hypertext links to generic prescribing information. These 200 products represent nearly two-thirds of all prescriptions filled in the US and the majority of searches of the RxList database. The imprint code search is fairly self-explanatory, ie drugs can be searched by their imprint code. The searchable experimental therapies FAQ page is a useful resource as it provides a plethora of information on popular alternative drugs. Searching in the patient educationsection gives concise, easy to read summaries of drug information aimed at patients, whilst the other search engines are mostly geared towards healthcare professionals.

Other comments

It is unclear when the site was last updated, however, it does claim to be updated regularly.

Evaluation

This is an extremely useful site both for the patient and the healthcare professional. Perhaps the highlight of the site is the weekly pharmaceutical based comic strip providing light relief after a hard day's searching!