AMA's drug information data base: program capabilities and opportunities for clinical pharmacy

The AMA drug information base (AMA-DIB) is reviewed and the impact of computerized drug data bases on the practice of clinical pharmacy is discussed. The AMA-DIB is an on-line data base derived from the fifth edition of AMA Drug Evaluations. Thus, it represents consensus information. The data base consists of individual drug records, pharmacologic class records, and therapeutic class records. It is accessed via commands using keyword searches. Computerized on-line drug data bases will have an impact on the practice of clinical pharmacy. Information resource services will either discontinue or proliferate, depending on the quality of the service and the ability of the directors to adapt to future needs. Patient monitoring services will discover that these data bases allow easier access to more information, but the computer will not be able to transfer the data to direct patient care. Thus, their professional roles will remain intact. Clinical pharmacy researchers, in contrast, will notice little or no impact on their practice.