Drugs, Herbs, and Vitamins
Drug Information – Drug Index from Medline Plus
MedlinePlus: Drugs, Herbs and Supplements – Quick access to the National Library of Medicine’s consumer-friendly information on prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies in an easy A to Z format. Información sobre medicinas, hierbas, y suplementos en Español.
Drugs@FDA – Easy-to-use A to Z list of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Also searchable by drug name, active ingredient, or application number. Información de la Administración de Medicamentos y Alimentos en Español.
New FDA Directory of Dietary Supplement Ingredients – look up ingredients used in products marketed as dietary supplements and find what the FDA has said about each ingredient, as well as whether the agency has taken any action regarding the ingredient. This new directory is intended to be a one-stop shop for ingredient information that was previously found in different locations on the FDA website.
National Council on Patient Information and Education – NCPIE/BeMedwise.org offers links to reliable information for medicine users, tools for consumers, and special groups such as women, children, and older adults. BeMedwise.org works to address critical medicine safe use issues like adherence improvement, prescription drug abuse prevention, treatment and recovery, medication error reduction, quality improvements in healthcare provider–patient medicine communication, and safe storage and disposal of medicines.
PDR.net/PDR+ for Patients – Physician’s Desk Reference is a leading drug resource. This consumer website provides drug guides written for the patient and can be searched or browsed by drug name. Includes the benefits and safety information for the drugs.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Provides consumer-friendly information related to prescription and over-the-counter medications. Topics include medication guides; approval, labeling, side effects, and safety information; FAQs on popular topics; buying medicine safely; and using medicine safely. Información de la Administración de Medicamentos y Alimentos en Español.
Herbal, Vitamin, Mineral, Dietary Supplements
Natural Medicines – The GHD Health & Wellness Library subscribes to this database, which is directly accessible in the library or from home with a library card. It provides systematic aggregation, analysis, and review of the literature about complementary and alternative therapies. It contains over 1,200 monographs on natural ingredients, including vitamins, herbs, minerals, non-herbal supplements, naturally sourced chemical compounds, and foods. Each monograph provides scientific, evidence-based information on safety, effectiveness, interactions, and more. Patient Handouts are available in English, Spanish, and French. There are also databases on health and wellness, sports medicine, comparative effectiveness, manufacturers, commercial dietary supplement products, and medical conditions. Tools include checkers on interactions, nutrient depletion, effectiveness, adverse effects, and pregnancy and lactation.
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Click here for Home Access (Requires GHD Health & Wellness Library Card)
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health – One of the National Institutes of Health, NCCIH is the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. Provides Health Topics A to Z, Herbs at a Glance, Be an Informed Consumer, and more, Información en Español sobre.
Office of Dietary Supplements – Part of the National Institutes of Health, ODS provides in-depth information about vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements, including fact sheets for consumers in English and en Español.
Tips for older supplement users – The National Institute on Aging provides information on vitamins, minerals, herbals, botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and animal extracts with a special focus on the benefits and risks for older adults. Lea sobre este tema en español.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health – One of the National Institutes of Health, NCCIH is the lead agency for scientific research on the diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. The Health Info section includes evidence-based information on treatments and conditions. Información del Centro Nacional de la Medicina Complementaria e Integral en Español.
National Center for Homeopathy – Comprehensive information on homeopathy and a directory of Homeopathic Practitioners in the United States.
Natural Medicines – The GHD Health & Wellness Library subscribes to this database which provides high-quality, evidence-based information about complementary, alternative, and integrative therapies, dietary supplements, and natural medicines. It ranks treatments by effectiveness which reflects the level of available scientific data for or against the use of each therapy for a specific medical condition.
Click here for In-Library Use
Click here for Home Access (Requires GHD Health & Wellness Library Card)
Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Cancer
MD Anderson Cancer Center – The center offers therapies that reduce patients’ stress and anxiety and improve their physical, mental and emotional well-being. Integrative Audio and Video includes guided meditations and information on yoga.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center – About Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products – Evidence-based information from MSK’s Integrative Medicine Service covering herbs, botanicals, supplements, and more. Includes information concerning possible drug interactions. Search About Herbs is arranged in an A-Z format.
Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine – Part of the National Cancer Institute, OCCAM provides health information for the public about complementary and alternative medicine as it relates to cancer.
Organizing and Taking Your Medications
How to Create a Pill Card – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality provides a guide to help users create an easy-to-use “pill card” for keeping track of medicines.
Safe Medication.com – This pharmacist sponsored site offers information on how to properly take medications and information about specific drugs and what they are used for.
There are many apps available for smartphones for keeping track of medications.
Shopping for Drugs
California State Board of Pharmacy – Advice on many aspects of drug purchasing, including state laws pertaining to prescribing and pharmacies. Includes advice on buying drugs on the Internet and a section of information for consumers, including fact sheets, tips and advice, and how to file a complaint for pharmacy or prescription errors. Información en Español and many other languages.
ConsumerMedSafety.org – The Institute for Safe Medication Practices offers information on both over-the counter and prescription medications, including special sections for children’s medications and herbal. Includes advice on how to receive and purchase medications, avoid mistakes when taking medicines, and store and dispose of them safely.
Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs – This free public education project provides guidance on the safety, effectiveness, and cost of drugs. Lists the best buys for drugs, provides information on reading drug labels, and lists drugs by condition or drug categories. Also includes recall information and drugs to avoid.
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D) – The official Medicare website contains extensive information about Medicare prescription drug coverage, called Part D. Cobertura de medicamentos recetados de Medicare (Parte D) en Español. Information in 17 other languages.
