Information and clinical pharmacology: role of the computer

The author notes the need for information from a variety of sources in order to support decision processes of the clinical pharmacologist. One of the data-bases urgently required is a central collection of drug information, which includes quantitative pharmacokinetic data as well as qualitative data and which would be used in evaluating complex drug interactions as well as uncomplicated adverse reactions. The need to be able to link these data-bases with others is noted. The need to develop professional consensus on data-base structure algorithms and the lexicon and terms used to create such systems is discussed. The role of the various professional societies is suggested with the observation that examples of this kind of effort and an awareness of the need for its existence are on hand.