However, if you're like most physicians, such solutions don't necessarily fit into your normal work pattern, as you spend your days making rounds, working in the field, or administering to a patient during an office visit. Little time is actually spent in front of a computer, which is one of the big reasons handheld solutions are becoming so popular in the healthcare field. They provide point-of-care access to information tools, allowing you to better care for your patients.

ePocrates qRx is an excellent example of a clinical Palm application, and right now its getting a lot of attention. It's already been adopted by nearly 100,000 physicians and an additional 100,000 healthcare professionals including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists. That's why we're spotlighting ePocrates in this special healthcare issue of PalmPower's Enterprise Edition. It's found at http://www.epocrates.com, and the software can be downloaded for free. It appears that, even if you're not a health professional, you can download and use this application for free.

Access important drug information
ePocrates qRx is a database that provides up-to-date and accurate drug information in an easy-to-use format for Palm devices. It's updated regularly via a program called AutoUpdate, which allows new drug releases, indication changes, or recalls to be immediately sent via the Internet to a user's handheld device. The software provides useful drug information such as indication-specific dosing, drug interactions, and packaging and pricing information.

The qRx database was initially developed by a team of clinicians from academic institutions across the U.S. Drug updates are peer reviewed twice prior to being entered into the database. The first review is conducted by ePocrates' internal clinical team, and the second review is conducted by an external clinical board comprised of 43 physicians from all major specialties.

You can look up the information you need in two ways. First, you can use an alphabetical list of drugs, as shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A

Search through an alphabetical list of drugs.

Second, you can search by the class of drug, as shown in Figure B.