Drug Guide??

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I am in my first semester in nursing school. I want to get a drug guide but I don't know which one to get. My school recommended using davis's. I don't know what to pick.

And also, do we have to get the new drug guide every year?

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Davis Drug Guide is really good. It's worth it to get the smartphone app and online access for about $50, even if they don't let you use your phone at clinical.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I use Davis Drug Guide as well. My class was required to only get one book for the program... I got the new edition because it's updated and I get another year of online access along with the book. That alone is worth it. That being said, not all drugs will be in there. Sometimes I have to look to other official sources for the info that I need. Wikipedia isn't exactly a reliable source, but it could point you to an actual official source of information. I also have another drug guide that fits in a pocket and I like that one too.

In clinicals, you might find that you have LexiComp online access, so take a look at that if you can. I used it the other day to refresh my memory about an antiviral...

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I prefer Davis over the others... ditto the app which is much more useful in practice than is a book.

I don't bother with the annual update... If I run up against a brand-new drug, I talk to the RPh or hunt down a new version.

The vast majority of drugs aren't changing year to year.

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I have the app, its amazing I would for sure get it.

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I really like the Davis Drug Guide and the book comes with a free year subscription to their online resources which I used a lot with careplans. I have looked through Mosby's drug guide and prefer the Davis. Go to the book store and browse through the books. Some formats jump out at people and are more user-friendly for certain people. But I found the Davis guide to have everything I needed.

Blue

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I would just like to add that although the above comments are correct, and you do not need a new one every year, if you bring a drug guide that is more than 2 years old to the hospital, JCAHO can enact reprocussions.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

I recommend going to a bookstore and looking through a few different kinds to see what "feels right" to you. Different publishers use a different format, and whether something works for you or not may be as simple as whether there are color changes or text boxes or bolded characters, etc.

Everyone likes things set up differently, so just because I have a book that I like doesn't mean it will work the same way for you. I like the "try before you buy" method just so you know if something works for your preferred visual style.

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

Another vote for Davis.

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Davis!

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