British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre (BC DPIC)

The Drug Information Reference (DIR) provides additional Canadian, unbiased, comprehensive drug information to healthcare professionals to supplement standard references, as part of a three-tiered vision for the provision of drug information in the province.

Description

The DIR, currently in its 5th edition, contains over 500 monographs on the most commonly used drugs in Canada. It is widely used in pharmacies, hospitals, and clinics throughout the province, and is a required text in the pharmacy curriculum at UBC.

Individual drug monographs include off-label or investigational applications, detailed data on safety in pregnancy and lactation, dosing in special populations including the elderly, children, and patients with liver or kidney disease and, very importantly, a summary of where the drug fits in therapy. It provides evidence-based scientific information on each drug as well as clinically important details, patient information, and a section directed at nursing concerns (sample drug monograph PDF).

Drug class monographs are included when comparisons are helpful (sample drug class monograph PDF). Some of the aspects covered originate from calls to the Drug Information consultation service, which serves to keep the text relevant to the health professionals of BC. Updates to the DIR are published as Drug Information Perspectives newsletters which are also posted to DPIC's website.

Advantages                                               

The DIR is the only drug reference that has all of the following positive qualities. The DIR is:

• Canadian (each country has its own approved drugs, dosages, indications and contraindications)
• unbiased (no funding from external sources)
• comprehensive (it covers all clinically useful aspects of drugs, from half-life to patient instructions, and includes unusual drugs such as testosterone)
  
• concise (clinically important information is easy to find)
• clinical (unique clinical pearls are added that are not found in other references)
• affordable (it is published on a nonprofit basis)
• relevant (it is part of a feedback loop - it includes the answers to questions that have been posed to the DI Consultation Service)
• evaluative (the place of the drug in therapy, and its advantages and disadvantages, are evaluated)
• cost-efficient for the healthcare system (healthcare professionals are encouraged to consult the DIR before accessing the DI Consultation Service at DPIC)
• accessible (costs are kept to a minimum to make it easily affordable)
• high quality (each monograph is reviewed by the Medical Review chairman, by an expert in the area, and by a registered nurse for accuracy and clarity)
• evidence-based (DPIC has access to most of the scientific literature in the English language)
• more extensive than common references (see comparison of the DIR with a standard Canadian reference)
• deeply loved by pharmacy students (because it is comprehensive, easy to use, and includes instructions for patient counselling)
• SUCCESSFUL: over 2000 copies of the current edition have been sold

Download the DIR Order Form (PDF)