Book Review

The RxFiles: Drug Comparison Charts, 5th Edition


The RxFiles Academic Detailing Program, Saskatoon, SK Canada

This reference has a little bit of everything and will become one of your favorites once you discover wha4s inside.

This resource is an excellent reference for any practicing pharmacist. Even though it is a Canadian reference, the generic drug names are the same and the reference is an excellent tool for pharmacists of both countries. It is in flip-chart format and is available in a standard letter size or pocket-sized editions. Each flip-chart page contains a drug category, the products available, their dosage forms, strengths, trade names, dose range/day, usual dose, Canadian price, and comments relevant to efficacy, pharmacotherapy, advantages, and disadvantages. It is indexed, very concise, and easy to use if you are trying to make pharmacotherapeutic choices. It puts all the relevant information you need to make a decision on one page.The current print version contains charts on asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal, hormonal and human reproduction, infectious disease, pain, and psychotropic medications. Each category is subdivided into different classes of medications. In the back are extra charts for antiepileptics, corticosteroids (including potency charts), dementia, Alzheimer’s, glaucoma, Parkinson’s, and more. There is even an excellent herbal-drug interaction chart as well as an over-the-counter section for common ailments. For those of you specializing in hormone replacement therapy, the section on hormones is a great reference. It even contains a chart on the herbal and phytoestrogen products available for women. References are included when listing statistics about specific products. Purchasers of this reference also receive access to their website, which contains more charts, any new additions or changes, as well as the ability download files for Palm handhelds and PDA’s.