Personal digital assistants (PDAs such as Palm computers) allow healthcare professionals to check for potential drug-drug interactions for patients who have been prescribed more than one medication.  Are these drug-drug interactions software programs effective?

The investigators of this study assessed eight PDA software programs that work with the Palm Operating System (Palm OS).  They looked at the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for 16 well-documented drug-drug interactions.   The software programs investigated were the latest versions (January 2004) for:  DrugIx, ePocrates Rx, ePocrates RX Pro, iFacts, Lexi-Interact, mobileMICROMEDEX, MosbyIx, and Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia.

Five programs scored perfect sensitivity scores: DrugIx, ePocrates Rx, ePocrates Rx Pro, Lexi-Interact, and the Tarascon pocket Pharmacopoeia.  Of these ePocrates programs scored as having the highest specificity, while Lexi-Interact and Tarascon pocket Pharmacopoeia scored lower.  MosbyIx scored best in specificity, but had a slightly lower sensitivity. 

The authors conclude that ePocrates Rx and ePocrates Rx Pro were the most reliable in detecting the most clinically relevant interactions without the distraction of detecting those of no clinical significance.     

(Perkins NA, et al. Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2006; 5(40):850-855.)

Comment.   At least one of those ePocrates programs is available on the internet at no cost to health professionals.  School nurses may not prescribe multiple medications, but they certainly get to administer them.   It’s nice to know that there are easy ways to determine whether  a drug interaction of concern should be anticipated. --  H.T.