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A Quick Reference to NLM's Drug and Chemical Resources

A Quick Reference to NLM's Drug and Chemical Resources. NLM Tech Bull. 2022 Nov-Dec;(449):e7.

December 12, 2022 [posted]

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) provides multiple free online resources with drug and chemical information.

Consumers, healthcare providers, researchers, pharmaceutical industry professionals and others can use these resources to locate drug and chemical information. A consumer may need a Spanish-language list of easy-to-understand side effects of an over-the-counter (OTC) medicine. A provider may want to review the indications of a new drug therapy. A researcher may want drug-gene interaction data to download and use in their study. An industry professional may be searching for a drug's ingredient list.


NLM Resource Description
MedlinePlus Drugs, Herbs and Supplements Reliable easy-to-understand information, available in both English and Spanish
DailyMed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labeling for prescription drugs, OTC medicines, medical foods, and supplements
PubChem Large-scale chemistry database with comprehensive information on chemicals, including molecular structures, properties, bioactivities, and many others
RxNorm A normalized naming system for prescription and OTC medications, and a tool for facilitating the interoperability of drug terminologies and pharmacy knowledge base systems
NLM Bookshelf Access to toxicology resources:

LiverTox for comprehensive and clinical information about drug-induced liver injury, or hepatotoxicity

LactMed for information on drugs and chemicals to which lactating people and nursing infants may be exposed

Toxicology reviews search for full-text toxicology reviews, assessments, and technical reports from various HHS and international agencies, including the National Toxicology Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

For an in-depth introduction to NLM's drug and chemical products, enroll in the free Drug and Chemical Information - On Demand class and earn up to 6 Medical Library Association Continuing Education (MLA CE) credits (CHIS Level 1). Browse all NLM drug and chemical product trainings and guides in the NLM Learning Resources Database.