A survey on the pharmacists' use of handheld devices and mobile medical apps for drug information / Nur Amirah Apidi

Background: Google's Android and Apple's iOS are major platforms for handheld devices such as smartphones which are able to support mobile medical applications (apps). This advancement allows users to download the apps for easy access to drug information especially pharmacists since they are major group of healthcare professionals that need rapid access to drug information. Thus, the apps are comparable to discover the content of the apps. Aims: The current study aimed to assess the use of electronic DI resources via HHCs by pharmacists in Malaysia usmg the newly developed Medical Mobile Applications and Investigative Tools (MAP-IT). This study also aimed to investigate the pharmacists' perception towards the DI content and functions of mobile medical applications. In addition, this study also compare the top mobile medical applications based on three options available which are general dosage recommendations, adverse drug reactions, drug interaction (DoReADI) Methods: A convenience sampling method was adopted to invite pharmacists (N=450) working in various sectors such as hospitals, drug approval authority, and academia to participate in this online survey. A 36-item questionnaire was administered and data were summarized and presented using descriptive statistics.