FAQ
International Drug Information

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NLM staff members create various health information sources and offer aid to find and use them. We cannot answer questions about individual medical cases, provide second opinions or recommend treatment. We can suggest ways for you to find information and conduct your own research.

General Resources

• - Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the drug. Your doctor can also consider your medical history.
  
  
• - Contact the health ministry or related government agencies from that country. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has links to International Organizations and Foreign Government Agencies at http://www.fda.gov/oia/agencies.htm
  
  
• - Search MEDLINE or TOXLINE, NLM databases for references to professional journal articles. For more information, see the MEDLINE Fact Sheet at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/medline.html and the TOXLINE Fact Sheet at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/toxlinfs.html.
  
  
• - You may find more Internet drug information by using an Internet search engine. The NLM does not approve or guarantee products, services or information at other sites. For advice on using health information wisely, see the MedlinePlus page on Evaluating Health Information at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/evaluatinghealthinformation.html
  
  
• - Check if the following drug books available at a local public or university library:
  • - Index Nominum
  • - Martindale: The Complete Drug Reference

Specific Country/Regional Resources
This list is not comprehensive. It includes selected free drug information sites. Some of these sites have detailed drug information, such as doses, uses, contraindications and side effects, while other sites only list the drug names, active ingredients, and manufacturers. The sites are in English, unless otherwise noted.

• - Australia:
  • - Australian Prescription Products Guide (free, but requires registration) at http://www.appco.com.au/appguide/
    
    
• - Canada:
  • - MedlinePlus consumer health drug information at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
    
    
  • - MediResource Prescription Drug Library at http://www.mediresource.com/e/health/drug.asp
    
    
  • - Health Canada's Drug Product Database at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/drugs-dpd/
    
    
• - Denmark:
  • - Lægemiddelkataloget Online Pharmaceutical Directory (in Danish) at http://www.info.gov.hk/pharmser/Reg_ir/download_pharm.html
    
    
• - European Union (EU):
  • - The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products Web site (click on the List of Authorized Products, and then the drug name to get Product Information Leaflets in several European languages) at http://www.emea.eu.int/index/indexh1.htm
    
    
• - Hong Kong (China):
  • - Compendium of Pharmaceutical Products from the Hong Kong Department of Health at http://www.info.gov.hk/pharmser/Reg_ir/download_pharm.html
    
    
• - Malaysia:
  • - List of Registered Products from the Drug Control Authority, Ministry of Health Malaysia at http://www.bpfk.gov.my/Search/Search_product.asp
    
    
• - New Zealand:
  • - Medsafe from the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, with information for health professionals and consumers at http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/index.asp
    
    
• - Singapore:
  • - Search Registrable Medicinal Products from the Health Services Authority at http://www.hsa.gov.sg/html/consumer/00000000000000001440.html
    
    
• - South Africa:
  • - South African Electronic Package Inserts at http://home.intekom.com/pharm/
    
    
• - Sweden:
  • - Summary of Products Characteristics from the Swedish Medical Products Agency at http://www.mpa.se/eng/spc/index.shtml
    
    
• - United Kingdom:
  • - electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) at http://emc.medicines.org.uk/
    
    

Related Questions:

Where can I find information about US drugs?

How can I identify a pill?

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Last updated: 15 September 2004
First published: 01 January 2000
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