References used in a drug information centre

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Information Science
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• Effective drug information access is crucial for promoting rational drug use.
• Drug information centers handle numerous problem-oriented queries annually.
• Identifying optimal literature sources is key to efficient information retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze literature sources used for problem-oriented drug information questions.
• To determine the most effective sources for answering drug information requests.
• To assess the feasibility of using a limited set of resources for drug information provision.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 461 problem-oriented questions submitted to a Drug Information Centre in 1993.
• Analysis of literature sources cited in response to these questions.
• Evaluation of the contribution of journals, textbooks, and databases like Drugline.

Main Results:

• Journals constituted the most frequent literature source, accounting for 36% of all quotations.
• A combination of medical/clinical pharmacology journals and standard textbooks answered over 50% of drug information requests.
• The Drugline question/answer database proved valuable for answering additional queries.

Conclusions:

• A relatively limited number of literature sources are sufficient for addressing a majority of drug information requests.
• Efficient drug information access can be achieved through strategic selection of core journals, textbooks, and databases.
• Optimizing resource utilization enhances the ability to support rational drug use.