Drug Dictionaries
Drug dictionaries are comprehensive databases that provide detailed information about drugs, including their chemical structure, uses, dosage, routes of administration, optimal storage, side effects, drug interactions, and other relevant details. They are used by healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients to ensure the safe and effective use of drugs.
The need for drug dictionaries
With an ever-expanding drug list, it has become increasingly challenging for healthcare professionals to keep track of emergent drugs. It is essential to have accurate up-to-date drug information to ensure that safe and adequate dosages are prescribed to patients of varying ages and pre-existing co-morbidities.
Drug dictionaries can also be used by researchers and drug developers to design new drugs. By analyzing the chemical structures and pharmacological properties of existing drugs, researchers are able to identify potential new drug targets, thus designing drugs with improved efficacy and safety profiles.
Key features of drug dictionaries
Drug dictionaries typically include the following key features:
Drug names and synonyms: It is essential that a drug dictionary lists all the names and synonyms for each drug, including its brand name, generic name, and chemical name.
Drug properties: A drug dictionary should provide information about a drug’s chemical structure, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.
Indications and contraindications: If a drug is approved for a medical condition, a drug dictionary should indicate any contraindications or precautions that healthcare professionals should be aware of.
Dosage and administration: A drug dictionary should include information on how a drug should be administered, including the route of administration, frequency, and any special considerations, such as dosage adjustments based on the type of impairment.
Adverse effects: In a drug dictionary, the potential adverse effects associated with each drug, along with their frequency and severity, should be listed.
Types of drug dictionaries
Drug dictionaries can be accessed through a variety of sources, such as:
Online drug dictionaries: A web-based resource that provides information about drugs. They are consistently updated, assuring the accuracy of the data.
Examples: WHO Drug dictionaries, The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Drug Information Portal, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Drug dictionary, RxList Drug Medical Dictionary, etc
Print drug dictionaries: Printed materials or books that provide details regarding drugs. New editions are typically released once a year to make sure the data is current.
Example: Martindale
Mobile drug dictionaries: These are portable programs that may be installed on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. They are highly practical for healthcare workers as they offer fast access to drug information.
Examples: Lexicomp, Drugs.com medication guide, etc
Commonly used Drug Dictionaries
The World Health Organization Drug Dictionary (WHO-DD) or WHO Drug Global
The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system used by WHO DD is a pharmacological reference dictionary to categorize pharmaceuticals. It was initially developed in 1968. Multiple scopes, like WHO Drug Enhanced and WHO Drug Herbal, allow for the coding of anything from traditional pharmaceuticals to herbal therapies. By categorizing patients' reactions to various treatments, the WHO Drug portfolio provides a number of tools and resources that can be used to safeguard patients and enhance investigations on efficacy and safety. The Uppsala Monitoring Centre (UMC) is responsible for supporting and maintaining this medical code lexicon.
There are two types of WHO Drug dictionaries,
WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced (WHO-DDE): The world's most complete and frequently used drug coding reference work is the WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced (WHO-DDE). Its contents contribute to ensuring that safety and clinical trial data are correctly coded, examined, evaluated, and published. In order to speed up submissions to national regulatory bodies, it is crucial that WHO-DDE meets the indicated need for a consistent drug lexicon and precise wording when categorising concurrent pharmaceuticals. The WHO-DDE comprises codes for recognising drug names and assessing data about pharmaceuticals, including their active constituents and intended uses. Each medication has a distinct Medicinal Product ID with important characteristics and a drug code.
WHO Herbal Dictionary (WHO-HD): A thorough reference work on herbal treatment is the WHO-HD. It was first published in 1999 and includes details on more than 1,000 medicinal plants and their applications. The WHO-HD aims to facilitate the safe and efficient use of traditional herbal remedies by providing a standardized language and classification system. The dictionary provides information on each plant's scientific names, synonyms, common names, descriptions, active ingredients, folk usage, and pharmacological characteristics. It also offers instructions on how to prepare, administer, and dose herbal treatments. To enhance evidence-based decision-making and raise the standard of herbal medicines, health professionals, researchers, and policymakers frequently use the WHO-HD. It is seen as a crucial instrument for integrating conventional medicine into contemporary healthcare systems as well as for advancing overall health and well-being.
The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Drug Information Portal
The Drug Information Portal (DIP) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) is a free online tool that gives users access to details on more than 100,000 medications from a range of sources. The portal, which incorporates data on medications from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (FDA), and other sources, is intended to be a one-stop shop for drug information.
The portal allows users to conduct searches by drug name, active ingredients, or drug class and provides access to details on clinical trials, the interaction of drugs, the label of the drug, and other topics related to the properties of the drugs. The portal also provides access to associated websites including MedlinePlus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PubMed.
National Cancer Institute (NCI) Drug Dictionary
For people who want to know more about medications used to treat cancer and related illnesses, the NCI Drug Dictionary is a useful tool. It provides technical definitions, synonyms, and additional details on medications that can be utilized to improve patient care. Healthcare workers can easily access crucial details about the medications they use to treat patients with the help of this dictionary. Also, this tool aids researchers in comprehending the various pharmaceutical categories that are offered and how those categories could influence the results of their studies. Healthcare professionals may make sure their patients receive the greatest care by using the NCI Drug Dictionary.
RxList Drug Medical Dictionary
RxList.com is a WebMD network site that is controlled and managed by WebMD.
Definitions and explanations of numerous medical terminologies, including abbreviations for prescription drugs, are provided in the RxList Drug Medical dictionary. The authors of Webster's New WorldTM Medical Dictionary, who are also pharmacists and U.S. Board Certified physicians, wrote the medical terminology in MedTermsTM. Additionally, it provides a pill identification tool that enables users to recognize unidentified pills based on their form, colour, and imprint.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients can all benefit from using drug dictionaries to find accurate and current information on the medications that are being made commercially available. This will help to ensure that patients are prescribed the proper medication at the appropriate dose and for the appropriate amount of time. They also contribute to the reduction of prescribing errors and drug adverse responses, as well as the creation of novel medications under the strictest safety and efficacy controls. Healthcare practitioners that use drug dictionaries can be sure they are giving their patients and clients the finest possible treatment.
References
Brown, E.G., and J. E. Harrison. (2012). “Dictionaries and coding in Pharmacovigilance.” In Stephens’ Detection and Evaluation of Adverse Drug Reactions: Principles and Practice, Fifth Edition, eds. John Talbot and Patrick Waller. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 545 – 72. Dictionaries and Coding in Pharmacovigilance (pharmadhoc.com)
Hochstein, C., Goshorn, J., & Chang, F. (2009). United States National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal. Medical reference services quarterly, 28(2), 154–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763860902816784
Knoben, J. E., & Phillips, S. J. (2014). New drug information resources for pharmacists at the National Library of Medicine. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association: JAPhA, 54(1), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.1331/JAPhA.2014.13123
The MedDRA and WHODrug Dictionaries: What Are They and How Are They Used? - EVIDENTIQ, accessed on 26 February, 2023, <https://www.evidentiq.com>
RxList - The Internet Drug Index for prescription drug information, interactions, and side effects, accessed on 27 February, 2023, <https://www.rxlist.com>
Uppsala Monitoring Centre, Uppsala, Sweden, assessed on 26 February, 2023, <https://who-umc.org>
WHO Drug Global, accessed on 26 February, 2023, <https://who-umc.org/whodrug/whodrug-global/>
WHO Drug Dictionary Enhanced (WHO DDE) - Pharmaceutical Business review (pharmaceutical-business-review.com), accessed on 27 February, 2023, <https://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com>
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