# Introducing professional drug information resources to non-healthcare undergraduates: a case report on promoting drug information literacy

## TL;DR

A short training session helped non-healthcare students learn to use a professional drug database, making them more confident and likely to use reliable sources in the future.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that brief training can improve drug information literacy in non-healthcare undergraduates.

## Key findings

- Non-healthcare students rated Lexicomp as more reliable after training.
- Over 90% of non-healthcare students expressed willingness to use Lexicomp in the future.
- Training shifted students' focus to clinically relevant drug information like adverse effects.

## Abstract

Non-healthcare undergraduate students frequently seek drug-related information online, often relying on unverified sources such as Google or YouTube. Early exposure to professional drug information databases may promote evidence-based information-seeking habits.

A one-hour training session on using Lexicomp, a professional drug information database, was conducted for 55 non-healthcare students and 58 pharmacy students at a women's university in South Korea. The session included live demonstrations and guided search tasks. Participants completed pre- and post-training surveys assessing their information-seeking behaviors, perceptions of source reliability, and intention to use Lexicomp. Students also ranked drug information types they typically searched for and anticipated using Lexicomp to find. Only 1.8% of non-healthcare students had prior knowledge of Lexicomp, compared to 100% of pharmacy students. After the training, 100% of non-healthcare students rated Lexicomp as more reliable than their usual sources, and over 90% expressed willingness to use it in the future. A marked shift in information-seeking priorities was observed, with greater emphasis on clinically relevant topics such as adverse effects and contraindications. Students reported increased confidence and found the platform easier to use than expected.

A brief educational intervention was effective in improving drug information literacy among non-healthcare students. Early training in professional resources may foster long-term adoption of evidence-based practices in personal health information use.