Support : Publications : Chronolog Archives : January 2002

Martindale Reloaded on DataStar for 2001

The reload of Martindale Pharmacopoeia (MART) on DataStar in 2001 saw some major enhancements to this database. Here is a summary of the changes:

1. A major improvement to the database is that it is more transparent than before. This has been achieved by the following:

• All document titles now appear in a title (TI) paragraph. Previously, document 'titles' were given in different paragraphs depending on document type. This made it difficult to identify documents.
• Titles are more meaningful. All documents now have 'cascaded' titles so it is now possible to see the context of a document at a glance, which was not possible before.
• Retrieval is available by broad category.
• By drug group. To retrieve all documents relating to Antimalarials, search as: _:CHAPTER WITH ANTIMALARIALS.TI.
• By drug properties (e.g., adverse effects or pharmacokinetics). To retrieve all documents relating to the adverse effects of Antimalarials, search as: _:CHAPTER WITH ANTIMALARIALS.TI. AND AT=ADVERSE-EFFECTS
• On DataStar™ Web and DataStar™ for Windows®, handy look-up lists have been created to allow users to select by drug group and/or properties. Additionally, these platforms offer four check-box options to retrieve documents covering some of the more popular requests: ­ drug definitions and descriptions ­ treatment reviews ­ preparations ­ manufacturer names and addresses Combining a drug name with one of these options will retrieve precisely the information required.
• Retrieval of all documents relating to a single drug is easier. As in the old version, to retrieve all documents relating to a single drug, use the accession number stem. In the reloaded MART, these accession numbers are now clearer. If you retrieve a document and want to find all the information about the drug cited drug, use the accession number to find all the other related references.

  Example:

  1 MART AN 00000006117-a1-203-f 20010807. TI Chapter title: Gastrointestinal Drugs; Cimetidine: Adverse Effects; Effects on the endocrine system. TX Cimetidine has dose-related mild anti-androgenic properties and reduced sperm counts and raised serum-prolactin concentrations have been reported in men during cimetidine treatment (1) as have gynaecomastia, breast tenderness, and impotence... CR 1. Wang C, et al. Effect of cimetidine on gonadal function in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1982; 13: 791-4. 2. Jensen RT, et al. Cimetidine-induced impotence and breast changes in patients with gastric hypersecretory states. N Engl J Med 1983; 308: 883-7. AT Adverse-Effects. ED Revision date: 19960920; 19980304; 20000811.

  Note that the accession number begins with the stem '6117-' and search as: _: 6117-$.AN.

  This retrieves the 48 documents in the database covering all aspects of the drug Cimetidine.

3. Database structure is simpler. The 22 paragraphs of the old database have been cut to only 16 in the reloaded MART. Obsolete and confusing paragraphs have either been deleted or merged together.

4. Update frequency has improved. MART is now updated quarterly. The hard-copy directory from which the database is sourced is only re-issued every few years.

5. Thesaurus terms are no longer searchable. Descriptors in MART no longer make use of the Martindale Thesaurus. The hierarchies and qualifier terms have also been discontinued. Data is now more easily retrieved using free text searching.

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