Developed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), this resource (http://www.safemedication.com/) focuses on providing reliable patient education information for more than twelve thousand drug products. The site is supported by information drawn from the American Hospital Formulary Service: Drug Information, package inserts, and FDA-approved prescribing information. ASHP also includes the consumer drug information available from the National Library of Medicine. Specific editor and author credentials are unclear, though ASHP is a reputable publisher. Contact information is clearly delineated, including e-mail addresses; however, a notice indicates that responses may be limited.
The site’s simple display is consistent with its consumer-driven purpose. A single search box (no advanced search) auto-corrects for misspellings. A phonetic key is provided for drug pronunciations. Drug information is presented in an organized, clear, concise manner, appropriate for patient education. Information is reasonably current and up-to-date, though newer drug releases and updates lag. Herbal medication information, drug interaction checkers, and pill identification checkers are unavailable. The number of results for a given search is absent; search results are organized by relevance, not alphabetically, which may hinder navigation. Information may be e-mailed or printed. Links to related sites, like those featuring adverse event reporting, are limited but relevant. This site stands apart from others by offering tips for drug administration, expert advice from pharmacists, and a tool for keeping track of medication lists. Although author credentials are given for advice pieces, posting dates are unavailable. Overall this site, despite its narrow scope, is clear, concise, and effective in providing basic drug information.
Recommended for consumers and undergraduate students seeking concise, reliable drug information.