Database Review by Library PTS (Part Time Student Librarian) - Utilizing British Pharmacopoeia (BP)

Review by Tan Ying Jie

Click the image above to access the database

1. Which feature(s) I like the most about the database?

a. The most updated version of British Pharmacopoiea can be accessed by free. 

Browsing contents

b. Besides, this database consists of table of content which enable us to search the information we want easily. From the table of content, we can also see that this database is equipped with information of various type of medicinal and pharmaceutical substances. In addition, there is also British Pharmacopoeia for veterinary which is very useful for veterinarian.

 

Updated contents
 

c. For the formulated preparations: general monographs, there are some explanations on the general pharmaceutical terms and some related information on each dosage form. For instance, capsules are described in term of their definition, types of capsules, production, tests, storage and even labelling.  This features are very useful for us especially pharmacy students on the knowledge to prepare drugs in various dosage forms.

For the formulated preparations: specific monographs, the lists of drugs are arranged based on alphabetical order as below which is very convenient for us to search our drug of interest if we have forgotten the drug name. 

List of drugs

d. Furthermore, we can type in the drug we want to find at the search box too to speed up our searching progress. For example, we want to search Paracetamol, all the dosage forms related to Paracetamol preparations such as tablets, capsules, oral solution, oral suspension, suppositories and so on will come out together in the list. Hence, we can choose our drug of interest easily and precisely. Each drug with different dosage forms will have different actions, procedures for preparation, precaution steps and so on.

Results after typing keyword


  Information regarding the drug

e. Apart from that, we can search by dosage forms also whereby all the related dosage forms will come out upon searching so that we can compare the preparation for different drugs with the same dosage form. For example, when we search for simple ointment, all the ingredients and the extemporaneous preparation will be shown just with one click.

 


Result page

Content page

2. Has the database benefit you in your learning process?
Yes, this database had provided various knowledge on pharmaceutical products and the correct ways on extemporaneous preparation which enable me to equip myself to become a better pharmacist in future.

3.  Does the database suit you or any other programs and why?
Yes, this database suits me and all students who take Pharmacy programme as this database contains very detailed and reliable information on pharmaceutical products and preparations. Besides, it is also very useful for Semester 3 Pharmacy programme who have to take extemporaneous preparation exam as that exam will follow the protocol in British Pharmacopoeia.

4. Would you recommend this database to your colleagues and why?
Yes, because we will need to do extemporaneous preparation in future especially in clinical settings. Hence, we can familiarize ourselves with knowledge in extemporaneous preparation before hospital posting. Besides, we can also revise back all the information related to Pharmaceutics that we had learnt before from time to time.