Research Guides: Drug &amp; Medical Information: Free Online Resources: Drug Information for Professionals and Consumers

General Drug Information

DailyMed
Looking for drug labels or comprehensive drug information? Search over 45,000 drugs (and counting!) on this free website provided by the National Library of Medicine. Find FDA approved and unapproved products for use in humans or in animals. Search for specific products or for lists of drug by class. Sign up to receive updates on changes to labels.
LactMed (Drugs and Lactation Database)
A peer-reviewed and fully referenced database of drugs to which breastfeeding mothers may be exposed. Among the data included are maternal and infant levels of drugs, possible effects on breastfed infants and on lactation, and alternate drugs to consider. From the National Library of Medicine.

FDA
Everything from drug news and drug approvals to the Orange book for therapeutic equivalence data and consumer information on drugs.
Drugs.com
One of the largest free databases for providing reliable information on human drugs (over-the-counter and prescription), as well as natural products and herbals, and veterinary drugs. The information on drugs is derived from AHFS DI, Cerner Multum and Micromedex. Information on herbals from Natural Products database. Pill identifier, drug interaction checker and other tools available.
RxList.com
Lists over 4,000 U.S. products. Access to top 200 drugs listing.
WebMD
One of the most popular medical websites that provides access to a wide variety of health information including information on drugs, vitamins, and supplements. Pill identifier, interaction checker and find a pharmacy tools available.
Mayo Clinic
The highest quality data on over-the-counter and prescription drugs, herbals, dietary supplements and vitamins. Drug information derived from Micromedex.

Medline Plus
Free government research website under the National Library of Medicine, contains Consumer Health information as well as dozens of links to other resources, email notification available, and subject searching as well as papers on specific therapies, diseases, drugs, and more. Drug information derived from AHFS Consumer Information. Information on herbs and dietary supplements from Natural Medicines database. Includes health information in a variety of languages.

Web Resources for Pharmacy Professionals
A list of free resources from the University Library of the University of Illinois, Chicago. See websites about accreditation, pharmacy practice, news, compounding and more.
MLA Top Health Websites
From the CAPHIS, the Consumer and Health Information Section of the Medical Library Association.

Consumer Product Information Center
Information on over 8,000 consumer products, allowing users to research products based on chemical ingredients. Can browse or search this database by products, ingredients, or Material Safety Data Sheets to easily locate the desired information. From DeLima Associates. Funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health & Human Services. The former Household Products Database was based on CPID data.

MedicineNet
Information on medications, vitamins and supplements. Pill identifier, Find a Pharmacy and drug interaction checker tools available.

Professional and Consumer Information on Diseases/Conditions

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC tracks health measures and recommends actions at the national level in the U.S. It prioritizes health promotion strategies and methods for preventing diseases and conditions.
MyHealthFinder
This is a government-sponsored Internet resource which offers basic health information on common health topics.
LIVERTOX
This site summarizes the effects of drugs, herbal products, and supplements on the liver. Check the negative effects of a limited, but growing number of products. Learn about different types of liver diseases. From the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Mayo Clinic
The highest quality data on over-the-counter and prescription drugs, herbals, dietary supplements and vitamins. Drug information derived from Micromedex.
MedicineNet
Information on medications, vitamins and supplements. Pill identifier, Find a Pharmacy and drug interaction checker tools available.

Medline Plus
Free government research website under the National Library of Medicine, contains Consumer Health information as well as dozens of links to other resources, email notification available, and subject searching as well as papers on specific therapies, diseases, drugs, and more. Includes health information in a variety of languages.

The Merck Manuals
Disciplines: Clinical Medicine, Consumer Health, Veterinary Medicine
Contents: Freely available versions of trusted medical titles.
- No user limits
- Search OR Browse by section.
- The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (Merck Manual: Professional Version)
- The Merck Manual Medical Myths Podcasts
- The Merck Veterinary Manual
- The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook (Merck Manual for the Consumer)
National Cancer Institute
As part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients. The site includes related clinical trials.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Seeks fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the applications of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. Read about healthy living, clinical trials, and research on many medical topics on this comprehensive website. The website includes information about funding opportunities and training for researchers. The NIH is a large organization with many smaller parts. Link out to each of these institutes' pages for more focused information.
WebMD
One of the most popular medical websites that provides access to a wide variety of health information including information on drugs, vitamins, and supplements. Pill identifier, interaction checker and find a pharmacy tools available.

Pharmaceutical Compounding

Human Drug Compounding
Access to compounding laws and regulations, risk alerts, oversight actions, inspections, recalls, and other actions, outsourcing facilities, and much more.
Secundum Artem
An extensive list of articles on compounding topics from Perrigo.

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov
Current information about clinical research studies. Database provides patients, healthcare professionals, researchers and public with access to publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants conducted around the world. Find and view studies, learn about clinical research, manage study records, view statistics and download study records for analysis.
Centerwatch Clinical Trials Listing Service
An international listing of clinical trials. You can find clinical trials by medical condition or geographic location. You can find research centers by medical speciality or geographic location. You can find drug information by FDA drug approvals or new drugs in research.

Adverse Drug Reactions

Health Product Info Watch: (formerly known as Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Newsletter)
Published monthly. Available in English or French. Use the RSS feed for automatic notification of new content.
Institute for Safe Medication Practices
Medication error prevention and safe medication use.
MedWatch
The FDA's adverse drug reporting and information system.
FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) Public Dashboard
Search adverse drug event reports from 2004 to the present.