Vet Appidemic: Epocrates App
The Appidemic is back! This time we’re introducing an app used by thousands of medical professionals worldwide, in various aspects of health care. And it's FREE!
New to this? Check out the Veterinary Appidemic intro post »
Epocrates Rx
Epocrates is a mobile human medical software company that was founded in 1998 by two Stanford students and recently acquired by AetnaHealth. Their products are used by over 1,000,000 people worldwide, including at least 50% of all north American physicians. That’s impressive stuff and it speaks to the usefulness of this app.
What does it do? On Android and iOS platforms, the keystone of the Epocrates suite of apps is their Epocrates Rx app, a FREE drug reference with useful features such as a drug interaction checker. The star of this show is the massive index of brand name, generic, and OTC medications.
Although limited due to lack of veterinary-only drugs and detailed pharmacology data, this app is very handy for the numerous human drugs we prescribe to animals. Not to mention its use in accidental medication exposures so common in the emergency room.
SEE ALSO: VMD Tech's Top Veterinary Pharmacology Resources
Epocrates also houses a powerful pill ID system so you can help figure out what that random pill in the manila envelope is when an owner hands it to you and says “he might have eaten this”. If only it was this easy for tick identification.
The app also has great calculators, a fast way to contact drug manufactures, and some informative tables (albeit ones that don’t always apply to veterinary medicine).
Price: Free!
Conclusion: A terrific app for any medical professional. While it’s not a complete resource for veterinary professionals, it’s certainly a useful tool to keep in your mobile wheelhouse. And maybe with more veterinary support, the company will start to add veterinary drugs…anyone listening, Epocrates? Until then, have you heard of the Timeless Veterinary App?
Download & Further Information: App Website, available on iOS and Android.
