Mobile medical applications #3: Epocrates

On the go drug reference guide

There are too many medications and remedies to count, with more being added all the time. How are you supposed to know if an over-the-counter remedy might interact with one of your daily prescriptions, or if a newly prescribed drug might have pregnancy risks? Epocrates is a drug reference app that claims use by more than 1 million active members including 50% of U.S. physicians.

It comes equipped with features such as:

• In depth drug information for brand name and generic prescription drugs as well as over-the-counter (OTC) remedies including dosing, possible reactions, healthcare insurance formularies and approximate retail pricing.
• A comprehensive database of drug interactions between up to 30 drugs at a time including brand, generic, and OTC drugs.
• A pill-identifying feature that lets users find medications based on pill shape, color and markings along with photos to compare.

The company claims 27,112,800 adverse drug events potentially avoided in 2012 alone according to an Epocrates survey based on self-reported physician data.

Epocrates Rx is a free app available for most mobile devices including apple and android phones and tablets.

Learn more about mobile apps for healthcare in Protocol, “The Rise of Mobile Health.”