Resources

Below is my personal list of pharmacy resources I like. (I have no affiliation with any of these resources.)

Most of these sites are free but I have noted which ones may have paid access/features.

Pharmacy Students & Learners

  • Study Tools:

    • Quizlet — search for pre-made quizzes and study materials, or make your own. Memberships are free with paid upgrade options.

    • tl;dr pharmacy — a great side made by pharmacists, for pharmacists. Free access to study guides, cheat sheets, and even has free article pdfs! They also have a bookstore with physical copies of pocket guides for sale.

    Textbooks

    • Library Genesis — My pal recommended this one to me. She used it for all of her undergrad textbooks and the pediatrics textbook our school made us get. May be harder to navigate, but very worthwhile for the savings. Free without paywalls!

    • thriftbooks — never buy a brand new physical textbook if you can avoid it. This site has a pre-owned textbooks and other medical reference guides for sale at a much lower cost. Bookscouter also has a running list of places to access free textbooks.

    Scanners

    You may be asking, “why is there a section dedicated to scanners?” Well, here’s the thing: pharmacy school requires a lot of resources and paperwork. I use my scanner app to scan in the 5 million requirements for enrollment/rotation like shot records, onboarding paperwork, and other

  • UWorld — link to their site. Most schools use this and offer free membership for P4s.

    tl;dr pharmacy — they have a MPJE study resource page on their site. One pharmacist I know swears by their cheat sheet. Check it out!

practicing pharmacy

  • Radiopaedia — This peer-reviewed, free site is a great resource for all things imaging! Includes descriptions and uses for different types of imaging, as well as example images. Free with no paywalls.

    WikiJournalClub — This site is a quick and dirty way to find summarized primary literature. Of course, nothing beats actually reviewing it yourself, but it’s a great place for the basics. The app also available — it costs like $7 as a one-time purchase, but no paid account/subscription required.

    MDCalc — This site has calculators for virtually any lab imaginable! The site includes calculators for scoring tools as well. They also have links to guidelines! Free app also available.

    GlobalRPh — This free site is similar to MDCalc. It has calculators, as well as clinical for common issues like navigating med shortages or IV preparation protocols. It also has a great dictionary of medical terms and another for abbreviations.

    CDC Immunization Schedule — No explanation needed. Everyone should have this readily available. Just in case.

    Sanford Guide — Yes, THE Sanford Antimicrobial Guide has an app! It’s free to download, but requires an annual subscription of $40.

    Guidelines on the Go — The ACC/AHA has a great free app for on-the-go access to all things cardio! Available for free, no account needed for iOS and Android.

    DI Resources: Most drug info databases like Micromedex or Lexicomp have free apps, but require a paid membership to use them. See below for how to log in (Micromedex only) without payment via your institution.

  • needymeds — Okay, this site is amazing. Increasing medication access is super important, but often it’s hard to find a good place to start. This site has resources for discount cards and patient assistance programs. Features of this site include: search by drug, price calculators, lists of clinics, and tutorials for enrolling in cost savings programs. This is a free resource, but donations are accepted to help them increase their service.

    NC Dept of Health & Human Services — this site has a lot of info on rural healthcare access & info for enrolling patients in their county’s medication assistance program. Other state health departments may have similar offerings!

  • Need scrubs? A stethoscope? Other random things to make pharmacy-ing easier? Here are a few places I usually go. Again— I have no affiliation with any of these businesses, I just use their products and recommend them.

    Scrubs:

    • Uniform Advantage — lots of variety, often has sales and offers customization on most apparel. They also sell stuff like stethoscopes and penlights.

    Badge Reel Reference Cards & Accessories

    My super awesome clipboard:

    • Whitecoat Clipboards — I will be honest: these clipboards are a little expensive. However, they are pretty durable and high-quality. Mine got scratched like, immediately, but it was probably my fault. They offer a TON of customization options. I got one that folds in half, and it fits perfectly in my white coat pocket. I think they have similar options for less on Amazon.

    Random cute pharmacy stuff — this is my personal Etsy “favorites” list.

Getting (free) access to database apps

Apps for tertiary resources like Lexicomp and Micromedex are great, and usually free to download onto your personal devices. The downside? Almost all of them require a paid subscription or account to use them. Lexicomp’s fee is $30 a month, and on a student’s budget, there’s no way I want to spend that kind of money.

But never fear! There is a solution— you just need to have access to an institution that already pays for access to that resource. For example, if your school or workplace offers free Micromedex access, go to the website via that institution. In the top right corner, you will see a link that says “Mobile Application Access.” Click on it.

A bunch of collapsed tabs will show up, listing different guides to setting up your Micromedex access. For mobile access for the app on a personal device like a tablet or phone, use the top option.

When you open it, there is a step-by-step guide. It helps to already have the Merative Micromedex app already downloaded so you can follow along immediately.

And there you have it! Micromedex access for free, provided by the institutional account you already have. Lexicomp may have a similar process, but I have not personally investigated it yet.