AHFS 50th Edition Continues Tradition Of Helping Health Professionals Make Safe, Effective Drug Therapy Decisions

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 29 Feb 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' (ASHP) longstanding commitment to providing reliable drug information for pharmacists and other health professionals continues with the release of the 50th edition of the print version of AHFS Drug Information ® (AHFS DI).

AHFS DI is the leading source of unbiased and authoritative drugs. This highly-respected reference is the only printed compendium designated by the U.S. Congress as a source for reimbursement for off-label uses. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and numerous healthcare insurance providers have also recognized the authority of the reference as a source of information on the medically accepted uses of drugs. Both the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine have listed AHFS DI as a recommended item for inclusion in reference libraries.

Each year more than 60 percent of the monographs are updated to include revised information on uses, cautions, drug interactions, and therapeutic perspectives. The new edition has been expanded by 24 monographs and includes thousands of revisions, including updates of major cautionary information from FDA MedWatch notices, such as:

- Potentially fatal risks and lack of substantial efficacy evidence for cold and cough preparations in young children,
- Risk of potentially fatal overdosage from the inadvertent interchange of heparin concentrations,
- Potential cardiovascular and psychiatric risks of stimulants used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and
- Warnings about sound-alike drug names that could result in medication errors.

Drug monographs in AHFS DI are thoroughly researched by a staff of drug information pharmacists and other professional editorial and analytical staff. Authors incorporate clinical research findings, therapeutic guidelines, and Food and Drug Administration-approved labeling to draft monographs. A typical monograph includes information from several hundred references. The accuracy of the drug information is also enhanced by the expert advice of a panel of more than 500 reviewers, including leading medical scientists, physicians, pharmacists, pharmacologists, and other clinicians.

"Drug therapy decisions should not be based on word of mouth or anecdotal evidence, said Gerald McEvoy, Pharm.D., ASHP assistant vice president of drug information and editor in chief, AHFS DI. "Prescribers must depend on a critical analysis of relevant clinical data like the information provided in AHFS-DI."

AHFS is available in several formats, including an online version and one formatted specifically for use with PDAs. Hospitals can license the AHFS database use in their existing clinical decision support systems. AHFS's latest partnership with Lexi-Comp, Inc. produced Lexi-Comp® ONLINE™ with AHFS, an online application that features the database in a uniquely-designed interface that provides drug information at the point-of-care.

A Web site, www.ahfsdruginformation.com, provides subscribers with the latest information and products from AHFS including current developments in drug therapy including updates, recalls, and warnings.

For more than 60 years, ASHP has helped pharmacists who practice in hospitals and health systems improve medication use and enhance patient safety. The Society's 30,000 members include pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who practice in inpatient, outpatient, home-care, and long-term-care settings, as well as pharmacy students. For more information about the wide array of ASHP activities and the many ways in which pharmacists help people make the best use of medicines, visit ASHP's Web site, http://www.ashp.org, or its consumer Web site, http://www.SafeMedication.com. For more information about AHFS DI, visit http://www.ahfsdruginformation.com.

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists