Alternative sources of drug information: indexing and abstracting systems

The proliferation of information and literature in medicine, therapy, and pharmacy practice in general has created a need for a centralized source of indexing that enables individuals to efficiently locate this type of literature. An excellent example of this type of system would be Index Medicus. But Index Medicus is voluminous and all-encompassing in its coverage. The need for fast, convenient access to publications in specialty areas has led to decentralized specialty indexing and abstracting systems that deal with a particular area of medicine, therapy, or pharmacy practice. This article deals with these specialty systems and encourages their investigation and use when searching the literature.