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Epocrates® Installation Tips and Guidelines


You must install Epocrates from the computer where you have already installed your PDA software. Both the initial install and subsequent updates will require Internet access and will transfer the program and data from your computer to your PDA through the Hotsync (for Palms) or ActiveSync (PPCs) applications. The initial installation will put an Epocrates conduit on your computer. This will manage updates to the drug database and other software updates. It is recommended that you synchronize your PDA at least once a week to keep your database current.

If you are a Yale affiliate and have not received a discount code or certificate, complete the online request for an Epocrates code.

Activating an Epocrates Essentials Certificates

If you have received a student or resident certificate, go to the main Epocrates page at www.epocrates.com and enter the code in the designated space and then click "Activate". If you have already created an Epocrates account, login with your username and password and follow the directions to download the program. If you have not previously created an account, you will need to complete an online application and select a username and password before you can proceed with the download.

Using the Yale Discount Code

If you are purchasing an Epocrates product with the discount code, go through the process of selecting the product and adding it to your shopping cart. Before you are asked for payment you will have the opportunity to put in the Yale School of Medicine discount code. Once you have entered the code and clicked "apply"


Epocrates and Pharmaceutical Marketing

Many Yale faculty, residents and students have come to rely on Epocrates as a good source for drug information. While the basic drug reference, Epocrates Rx, is free of advertising and bias, this is not so for some of the optional "MedTools" which Epocrates users may choose to download onto their PDA.

The influence of drug companies on the decision-making is of concern to many healthcare educators. students and practitioners. The Medical Library makes every effort to avoid purchasing resources that include advertising. You can learn more about the issues at the Websites for No Free Lunch and AMSA's PharmFree Initiative.

Users should be aware that many of the MedTools offered for optional download are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and display product or company advertising whenever these modules are accessed. MedTools are separate from the Epocrates drug database and are not installed on your PDA unless you specifically select them. We encourage all clinicians and students to consider this information when selecting any of these MedTools. This screen shot below (captured October 2005) shows the default selections checked. Both checked items along with the "Drip Rate Calculator" and "Temperature Conversion Calculator" are ad free. The remaning tools include prominent commercial advertisements.

Installing Epocrates Dx to a Memory Card
Because the main program memory is a finite resource on PDAs, you normally want to take advantage of installation options that allow you to put a portion of the program on expanded memory. If your version of ePcrates includes the Dx module, you should see an option to put this information on your memory card. This will allow you to subsantially reduce the amount of main memory the program uses. Epocrates does not support use of the expanded memory space on the Palm T5 and LifeDrive for the Dx module content. The expanded memory feature is currently only for Windows/Palm platforms although Epocrates hopes to make it an option for Mac/Palm and PocketPC users in the future.

 

When you are ready to download the Epocrates application, go to www.epocrates.com

 

For assistance or questions...
     Contact Mark Gentry, Clinical Support Librarian

     Email: mark.gentry@yale.edu      Telephone: (203) 785-2163