Retrieve the information of a drug and its adverse effects using online tools
BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical
Aim:
Retrieve the information of a drug and its adverse effects using online tools.
In this experiment, we will learn
- To investigate information retrieval tools that students use to find scholarly information.
- To compare the tools in terms of access, search techniques and search facilities
IR tool can be in any form of a printed or electronic catalogue, index, and bibliographic records or application that facilitates information retrieval. As there are various IR tools available such as online public access catalogues (OPAC), Internet search engines, subject directories, online databases and digital libraries.
OPAC
OPAC is a computerized catalogue containing bibliographic records of items in a library. The student usually used OPAC to find books from the library online before they go to the library to borrow them.
Steps to use OPAC:
- In Google type OPAC and enter.
- Open National science library.
- On the right side, you can see links for e-journals, and e-books, and select the search option.
- Enter the word drug and adverse reaction separately.
- The information related to journal articles and book information will be displayed.
- The library is open from Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.30 pm.
Internet Search Engine
They usually used Internet search engines to find sources of information or to obtain the information itself. The information in search engines may consist of a web page, images and other types of files. The search engine uses a web crawler to retrieve information from millions of web pages on the web and then stores the information in the search engine index. Examples of internet search engines are Alta Vista, AOL Search and Google.
Steps to use Search Engine
1) Open any search engine
2) Type the word ‘drug information’ and enter
The web pages related to drugs will display Examples: https://www.drugs.com, https://www.fda.gov/Drugs
3) You can get information on the required drug and its adverse reaction
Subject Directories
Students also used subject directories like Yahoo and Wikipedia to locate information. Subject directories are created manually by assigning the submitted sites to a suitable subject category by the directory developers.
Steps to use Subject directories
1) Open any subject directories like Yahoo.com or Wikipedia
2) Type the words ‘drug information, and adverse reaction’ to enter
3) The web pages related to drugs will display.
4) You can get information on the required drug and its adverse reaction.
An online database and Digital library
Despite Internet search engine popularity, students usually turn to online databases and digital libraries to find scholarly and trustworthy information. Examples of online databases are Elsevier, IEEE and ACM
A Digital library is a managed collection of information associated with services, where the information is stored in digital formats and accessible over a network. It provides a high-quality resource that has been filtered by library professionals and subject experts and added manually.
Steps to use an online database and Digital library
- In Google type Elsevier and enter
- Open the webpage
- On the left side, you can see links for e-journals, and e-books, and select the search option
- Enter word drug and adverse reaction separately
- The information related to journal articles and book information will be displayed.
- Unlike OPAC the site is availing information 24X7.
Result:
Thus we studied how to retrieve information about a drug and its adverse effects using online tools.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/jivhgtLKC64
What is the primary aim of the “Retrieve the information of a drug and its adverse effects using online tools” practical?
The main aim of this practical exercise, as part of the BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy curriculum, is to teach students how to effectively use various online tools to find information about drugs and their potential adverse effects. It also focuses on investigating and comparing these information retrieval (IR) tools based on their accessibility, search techniques, and available search functionalities.
What are some common information retrieval (IR) tools discussed in the sources?
The sources highlight several common information retrieval tools. These include:
- Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs): Computerized library catalogs containing bibliographic records, primarily used for finding books and journals within a library’s collection.
- Internet Search Engines: Tools like Google, Alta Vista, and AOL Search that use web crawlers to index and retrieve information from millions of web pages, images, and other file types.
- Subject Directories: Manually curated directories, such as Yahoo and Wikipedia, where sites are assigned to relevant subject categories by developers.
- Online Databases and Digital Libraries: Platforms like Elsevier, IEEE, and ACM that offer managed collections of high-quality, scholarly information, often filtered by professionals and accessible over a network.
How do OPACs differ from online databases and digital libraries in terms of accessibility?
A key difference in accessibility is that OPACs, while offering online access to library catalogs, typically have limited operational hours (e.g., Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:30 pm), much like a physical library. In contrast, online databases and digital libraries are generally available 24/7, providing continuous access to information regardless of time or day.
Why might students prefer online databases and digital libraries over internet search engines for scholarly information?
Despite the popularity of internet search engines, students often turn to online databases and digital libraries for scholarly and trustworthy information. This is because digital libraries, in particular, provide “high-quality resources that have been filtered by library professionals and subject experts and added manually,” ensuring a higher level of reliability and academic rigor compared to the broader, often unfiltered, results found through general internet searches.
Can you provide a step-by-step example of how to retrieve drug information using an Internet Search Engine?
To retrieve drug information using an Internet Search Engine:
- Open any internet search engine (e.g., Google).
- Type a relevant phrase like “drug information” and press Enter.
- The search engine will display a list of web pages related to drugs, such as Drugs.com or FDA.gov/Drugs.
- You can then navigate to these pages to find information on the required drug and its adverse reactions.
What is the purpose of the “Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical” (BP210P) mentioned in the sources?
The BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical is a course designed to equip pharmacy students with practical computer skills relevant to their field. Beyond just retrieving drug information, the practical also covers a range of applications such as designing questionnaires, creating HTML web pages, using MS Word for mailing labels, working with MS Access for patient databases, and generating reports, queries, and invoices, among other tasks related to information storage and retrieval in pharmacy.
How are subject directories created and how do they function for information retrieval?
Subject directories are created manually by directory developers who review submitted websites and assign them to appropriate subject categories. For information retrieval, users can open a subject directory (e.g., Yahoo.com or Wikipedia), type in keywords like “drug information” and “adverse reaction,” and the directory will display web pages categorized under those subjects, allowing users to find the desired information.
What are some other related topics covered or suggested for further reading within the context of pharmacy information?
The sources suggest several related topics and readings crucial for pharmacy professionals. These include:
- Investigational New Drug (IND) Pharmaceutical Regulatory Science.
- The importance of safety monitoring of medicine.
- Management of adverse drug reactions (Pharmacovigilance).
- Statistics and Biostatistics, including frequency distribution.
- Specific topics like Legionnaires’ Disease and product recalls (e.g., Blueberry Recall Alert for Listeria contamination), which highlight the practical application of information retrieval in public health and drug safety.
BP210P Computer Applications in Pharmacy Practical
- Design a questionnaire using a word processing package to gather information about a particular disease.
- Create an HTML web page to show personal information.
- Retrieve the information of a drug and its adverse effects using online tools
- Creating mailing labels Using Label Wizard, generating labels in MS WORD
- Create a database in MS Access to store the patient information with the required fields Using access
- Design a form in MS Access to view, add, delete and modify the patient record in the database
- Generating report and printing the report from the patient database
- Creating invoice table using MS Access
- Drug information storage and retrieval using MS Access
- Creating and working with queries in MS Access
- Exporting Tables, Queries, Forms and Reports to web pages
- Exporting Tables, Queries, Forms and Reports to XML pages
First Year B Pharm Notes, Syllabus, Books, PDF Subjectwise/Topicwise
First Year B Pharm Notes, Syllabus, Books, PDF Subjectwise/Topicwise
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