How to Use the Physician's Desk Reference

The Physician's Desk Reference has long been the go-to guide for information on specific pharmaceutical drugs for physicians. Available in an affordable commercial version, the Physician's Desk Reference is often used by people outside of the medical profession as a reference for pharmaceuticals. While it is quickly being outmoded by online and computer-based references, knowing how to use the Physician's Desk Reference can provide useful information on a variety of pharmaceutical products for various medical conditions.

Things You'll Need

• Physician's Desk Reference

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Instructions

• 1

  Identify the brand name of the pharmaceutical product versus the chemical name. For example, you would look up "Tylenol" instead of "Acetaminophen".

• 2

  Look up the product's name using the brand name of the product. The Physician's Desk Reference is arranged alphabetically. This will provide a list of facts about the product, including the recommended dosage, images of the product, and the medical conditions it is used to treat.

• 3

  Use the index to look up the medical condition you're interested in. The index of the Physician's Desk Reference lists medical conditions with the corresponding pages for the products designed to treat them.

• 4

  Use the index to look up the body part the medical condition affects. The index of the Physician's Desk Reference lists parts of the body and the medical conditions that affect them and the products designed to treat them.