Is Your Drug Book or Application Up to Date?

Do you have the latest version of your drug book, smart phone application or software? The advantage of smart phone or PDA applications as well as any medical software is that it can be updated frequently where as a hard copy book cannot. But whatever your personal or professional choice, you need to update them at least once a year.

Each year thousands of new drugs become available or have significant changes in applications, side effects, etc. Nurses have the responsibility to teach patients, caregivers and family members about medications and unless they have the most up-to-date information at their fingertips, this basic process can be severely hampered.

Remember to check with your tax advisor about the cost of these tools if you purchase them for yourself. In most instances, they will be tax deductible, so be sure to keep the receipts and keep good documentation about how much time you use your smart phone, PDA or computer for work related business.

As a new school year begins, it is a good reminder to update drug books and applications. It’s also a good time to review any other such applications or tools that you use in your job.

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