Rx Note

Introduction Ministry of Health Medicines Formulary (MOHMF) is a valuable resource for healthcare professionals practicing at Malaysia. It provides quick information on indications, dosage, availability and prescribing category. Also, it forms the hospital/clinical drug formulary foundation for all government healthcare facilities at Malaysia. Self-Driven Initiatives Over the years, several unofficial attempts have been made by practitioners to bridge this accessibility gap. These first started with My Blue Book by My Pharmacist House (last updated to MOHMF 2016-2) , followed by Blue Book (Updated+Brand Name Search) by Apicel (last updated to MOHMF 2020-2), and Blue Book + CPG Malaysia by Ice Cream App (last updated to MOHMF 2025-1). More recently, independent tools like Antimicrobial QR (developed by a Family Medicine Specialist, bundling NAG guidelines with MOHMF 2025-3) have emerged. However, most of these community-driven apps eventually suffer from update lag or remova...

Introduction Pharmacists play a vital role in providing accurate drug information to patients and other healthcare professionals. As technology advances, it is increasingly common for pharmacists to utilize several medical mobile applications for daily works. NOTE: All the hyperlinks below are for Android devices. Malaysia Localized Apps MyFormulary A progressive web app that provides drug information on the latest Ministry of Health Medicines Formulary (MOHMF) in Malaysia. Brand name search is not available. MIMS Malaysia MIMS Malaysia requires internet access. Antimicrobial QR Provides an interactive, offline search experience for both the Malaysian National Antimicrobial Guideline (NAG) and the Ministry of Health Medicines Formulary (MOHMF) . CPG Malaysia An app created to help medical professionals to obtain and read CPGs easily. MyUbat An offical app developed by Ministry of Health to help verify FarmaTag hologram and apply pharmacy value-added services at government health c...

Introduction With the advancement in technology, a wide variety of medical calculators are now available on App store. Some are integrated into larger medical applications, like Lexidrug , Medscape and Epocrates . Today, I would like to recommend two of my favourite free medical calculators that also work offline. MDCalc Medical Calculator Calculate by QxMD MDCalc Medical Calculator MDCalc Medical Calculator provides access to over 900 easy-to-use clinical tools, including risk scores, algorithms, formulas and dosing calculators. Each tool includes a discussion of the underlying evidence and more information about the formula used, which helps users gain a deeper understanding and appreciation. Download links: iOS Android Calculate by QxMD From the developer of the apps 'Read', 'The ECG Guide' and 'Pedi STAT' comes 'Calculate' , a next-generation medical calculator and decision support tool, freely available to the medical community. There are more th...

Introduction The British National Formulary (BNF) and BNF for Children (BNFC) are joint publications of the British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. These resources are designed for healthcare professionals involved in prescribing, monitoring, supplying and administering medicines. The print edition of the BNF is updated twice yearly, in March and September. The print edition of BNF for Children is updated annually in September. Contents In September 2015, the layout and design of the BNF and BNF for children has been completely redesigned. The monographs of the drugs have changed from 7 sections to 20 sections and new topics have been included. Similar to previous editions, it is compiled with the advice of clinical experts which is continually updated to reflect the latest evidence from credible sources worldwide. PDF Files Upon clicking the provided link, you will be redirected to an external website. To initiate the download process, please click the ...

Introduction Open As App is a no-code paltform that lets people turn calculations, lists and forms in a spreadsheet into mobile and web apps. To create a functional calculator app, you have to be familiar with Microsoft Excel . A detailed step-by-step on app creation guide is available here . Strengths Make mobile application creation more accessible. Check for update feature - Users can always manually click "Check For Updates" to sync the latest database changes. Pop up notification of new database will appear if a new Excel file is uploaded to the Open As App Cloud. Ability to change source file storage from Open As App Cloud to One Drive, Dropbox or Google Sheet. To do this, navigate to "Update data source" and click "Edit URL" However, when the source file is synced to an online Google Sheet, database updates do not trigger automatic notifications. Calculator app using Excel formulas can be designed easily. This is not feasible in AppSheet , Mdic...

Introduction I stumbled upon this product on a pharmacy shelf and wondered what it was for. Disclaimer: I am not reviewing this product, but rather discussing herbs and supplements in general. Although I have lived in Malaysia for over 20 years, the only Malay herbs that I heard of is Tongkat Ali. As a product of Western medical training, I have limited knowledge of herbs. My university education and personal readings have revealed that many herbs lack substantial evidence or large-scale clinical trials to support their use for specific indications. The situation is further complicated by the wide range of doses and preparations used in clinical studies. A quick question: Do you know the common dosage of St. John's Wort or its typical uses? In university, we often highlighted St. John's Wort when discussing potential drug-herb interactions , but rarely delved into the supporting evidence. However, at community pharmacies , customers frequently ask about supplements, such as: A...

Introduction Historically, a drug formulary developed by each and every hospital was to manage the proliferation of drug products. In just one year of 1951, the number of market entries consisted of 330 new drug products, including 35 new drug entities, 74 duplications of drug entities and 221 combination products. Hence, there would not be enough space for a hospital pharmacy to stock every single medicine that is marketed. To ensure that physicians had an adequate and consistent supply of medications for their day-to-day needs, the drug formulary system is being implemented. Today, with pharmacy and therapeutic committee actively playing their role, this mechanism will discourage the use of marginally effective drugs and treatments . In other words, formulary system can be seen as an ongoing process that methodically evaluates medications on an ongoing basis for inclusion or exclusion; established guidelines for optimal medication use; and develops policies and procedures for prescri...

Introduction Undoubtedly, Lexicomp Drug Information Handbook is a great reference to have. The 32nd edition has 1444 drug monographs, each offering up to 32 fields of information specific to a particular medication. The same drug information content can be found at UpToDate , but with missing information in Storage/stability Preparation for Administration Extemporaneously Prepared Mobile Application: UpToDate Lexidrug (formerly Lexicomp) In response to the industry's call for unified solutions, Lexicomp is renamed to UpToDate Lexidrug starting March 2024. Its mobile application provides a faster drug information searching and more intuitive drug interaction checker. Handy Tips When viewing drug monographs, you should use the "JUMP" button on the top right corner for faster navigation. In the Text Size menu under Preferences , you may adjust the text size of drug monograph to have a better overall visual experience. In the Settings menu under Preferences , you may op...

Introduction At times, you may encounter useful mobile applications that are not available in your country, such as BNF Publications . However, do not feel disappointed. iOS Devices To install apps not available in your country, you can either Option 1: Create a new Apple ID with a different country or region Sign out of your current Apple ID in the App Store. Create a new Apple ID, selecting the country where the app is available. Option 2: Change your App Store country or region Open the App Store app and tap on your profile picture. Tap on "Country/Region" and then "Change Country or Region". Select the country where the app is available. Agree to the Terms and Conditions. Enter a valid payment method and billing address from that country. Android Devices Apart from the default method (which needs a default payment method for the new country) , there are 2 workarounds that I know of to install these region restricted applications. Option 1: VPN Approach (with Cav...

Introduction Since 1969, Sanford Guide has been a leader in point-of-care recommendations for the treatment of infectious diseases. It is published annually in hard copy and also available as a mobile app. Mobile Application The mobile app is a convenient way to access Sanford Guide content. It is searchable and includes activity spectra, which can helpful for determining the best antibiotic to treat a particular infection. The app also includes continuous updates over the year. Individual subscriptions to the Sanford Guide mobile app last for 1 year and cost roughly Rm104.90 per year. Via Sanford Guide Cloud Account , you can install your subscription on up to 5 devices.

Introduction MDict is a multi-language dictionary app that does not come with pre-built dictionary data. Rather, it is an open platform that allows users to download pre-built dictionary data written by themselves or others. Creating Own Custom Database How can you create a personalized database with a decent interface? To begin, download MdxBuilder.zip to your computer , and extract the necessary tools using software like WinRAR or 7-zip . ExcelToTxtP.exe MdxBuilder.exe Next is the most tedious and time-consuming step. You will start preparing your database in Microsoft Excel or WPS office . Here are some key points to consider. The top row should be the title of the information fields. For example, a drug database may include the generic name, brand name, indications, dosage and others. The first column (Column A) should be used for searching term. You may create multiple entries for one term, allowing users to search using different criteria. For example, a drug may have gener...

Introduction When I first started working in a government hospital, I was surprised to find that the Frank Shann Drug Doses booklet is one of the most extensively used and trusted references for paediatric doses at Malaysia. Almost all the provisional registered pharmacists in the hospital carry a copy in their lab coats. The portable booklet serves as a quick reference for the doses of drugs commonly prescribed for systemic use in both adults and children (except for diagnostic agents). However, it does not provide complete indication-specific dosing, side effects of drugs and modifications for renal or hepatic failure as provided by Lexicomp or BNF for Children . Cooking Recipes Apart from drug doses, the booklet also contains interesting cooking recipes such as: Cake, diablo. Fan oven 180°C. Melt 180 g dark cooking chocolate + 170 g unsalted butter in double boiler. Off heat, mix in 4 well-whisked egg yolks, 170 g sugar, 40 g almond meal; sift in 80 g self-raising flour, mix. ...