Drug Information: A Guide for Pharmacists>Chapter 4. Drug Information Resources>INTRODUCTIONThe quantity of medical information and medical literature available is growing at an astounding rate. The technology by which this information can be accessed is also improving exponentially. The introduction of PDAs and Internet resources has to some extent changed the methods by which information is accessed, but not the process of providing drug information.Pharmacists are being asked daily to provide responses to numerous drug information requests for a variety of people. It is tempting just to select the easiest, most familiar resources to find information; however, by doing that there is the possibility of missing new resources or limiting the comprehensiveness of the information found. It is for these reasons that the systematic approach discussed in is helpful in order to streamline the search process.Generally, the best method to find information includes a stepwise approach moving first through tertiary (e.g., textbooks, full-text databases, and review articles), then secondary (e.g., indexing or abstracting service), and finally primary (e.g., clinical studies) literature. The tertiary sources will provide the practitioner with general information needed to familiarize the reader with the topic. If this information is not recent or comprehensive enough, a secondary database may be employed to direct the reader to review primary literature articles that might provide more insight on the topic. Primary literature often provides the most recent and in-depth information about a topic, and allows the reader to analyze and critique