to buy a new drug book or not??

Nurses New Nurse

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Specializes in med/surg, ortho/neuro, ambulatory surg.

I will graduate in may and I currently have the 2006 nursing drug book. How often should you buy the new edition of these things?? Our floor where I work has all the older editions and we have a computer with drugs we can look up but I want one for myself incase someone is on the computer or its not in there for some reason. Should I stick with the book I have and get a ne wone every two years or what??? Thanks for your advice.

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There's a stack of drug books in our med room, and there's always a recent (within the last year) edition there. You can always count on a new grad to have a book in the room :D

Glad I didn't bother buying a new one. Would have been a waste, as every time I need the info, it's there. AND, if I still have a question, I walk two steps to the phone, dial Pharmacy, and ask. They answer either immediately or in a minute.

By the way, my edition became "old" before I graduated as well, and didn't get a new one then. Nothing was really outdated! And when I started work, I saw the stack of books and realized I had saved myself some bucks. I suggest you do the same before buying new.

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Specializes in Palliative Care, NICU/NNP.

In California we have to have the current year's drugbook. The feeling is if you take info from an earlier book it might not be current. So all guidebooks will have to be 2007 soon.

I doubt that much really changes, but...

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In California we have to have the current year's drugbook. The feeling is if you take info from an earlier book it might not be current. So all guidebooks will have to be 2007 soon.

I doubt that much really changes, but...

But do you, personally, have to own a copy of the latest drug book, or just have access to it while working?

If it's the latter, then the OP shouldn't need to buy her own personal copy. Unless, of course, the facility she eventually works in doesn't have same.

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The only drug book was the one I got when I was still a student. I had thought about getting a PDA when I started working, but I held off on it becuase I didn't know what kind to get. Now that I started working, I realized I really don't need one. It'll just take up too much room in my already filled up pockets. If there are medications I do not know, I can always either go on the computer to look them up. My hospital has this kind of program where you can easily look up any medications, and also check IV compatibilities. Another place I can look up medications are on the pixus.

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Specializes in Palliative Care, NICU/NNP.

I do personally own 2007's book but I haven't owned one previously. There are several copies available on the floor. We also have a PDR, Pyxis, computer to look up drugs. I keep the book at home.

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Specializes in med/surg, ortho/neuro, ambulatory surg.

thanks for the replies!! I think I will just tsick to my 2006 version as there are only 14 new drugs in the 2007 version. We do have access to the computer at work but our pharmacy SUCKS as we can no longer talk to a pharmacist you have to leave a message and wait for them to call you back!!!

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