October 1, 2017 (Vol. 37, No. 17)
Rating:
Strong Points: Large collection of drugs, plain-language summaries, ad-free
Weak Points: Drug quiz feature still pending
Platform:
iPad/iPhone/Android
Cost:
Free (implementing a subscription fee soon)
Summary:
Created by a clinical pharmacist, the Pocket Pharmacist app is an informative resource to learn about different medications. The app contains drug summaries for close to 1,700 medications, all of which have been written by licensed pharmacists and are written without the use of technical jargon. Users can search the database by medication name (either brand name or chemical name) to access the summaries. Each summary includes information about drug class, dosage and indications, drug interactions, and precautions. A list of common side effects is also provided, as is a space for users to add their own notes. Users can add specific medications to the in-app “Med Box” for ease of access and for use with features such as dose reminders. The chat feature in the app allows users to submit questions to the app community, with many queries being answered by the creator of the app.
