Ever since the publication of the first edition of this book in 1996, there has been increasing realization of the importance of drug information. Much of this can be related to Internet information sources, along with the ever-increasing ease by which material can be located and used. This increased emphasis on information has had an effect on both the health care professional, who uses the material, and the patient, who may look up material directly and even bring it in to talk about with a health care professional. The ability to obtain, manage, evaluate, and use information has become an important core skill for the professional.
This book was originally written to provide training in drug information management. It has been tested and refined continuously, based on experience in both practice and the classroom. In this fifth edition, the goal of this book continues to be to educate both students and practitioners on how to efficiently research, interpret, evaluate, collate, and disseminate information in the most usable form. While there is no one right method to perform these professional responsibilities, proven methods are presented and demonstrated. Also, seldom-addressed issues are covered, such as the legal and ethical considerations of providing information.
The fifth edition continues to expand, updating information from previous editions and going into new areas. This includes a new chapter on assessing drug promotions by pharmaceutical representatives and the need for counterdetailing. Another new chapter is on pharmacy informatics. It always seemed that there should be a connection between pharmacy informatics and drug information-after all, both make extensive use of computer systems to manage information. However, they often seem to be treated as separate subjects. This new chapter bridges that gap.