Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Lesson Title: Internet as a Source of Drug Information Materials:
Lesson Objectives: By the end of this module, you should be • Pen
able to • SAS
1. Describe the role of electronic resources in the provision of References:
drug information. • Drug Information: A Guide
2. Evaluate the different sources of information found online. for Pharmacists (5th
edition), Malone et al.,
3. • Remington Education Drug
Information and Literature
Evaluation, Abate &
Blommel,
• PPHA Advocacy: Pharmacy
Information Services
Manual, 2018
Productivity Tip:
Before you start, give your brain and body a boost of energy by doing stretching and push ups (or
any light cardio exercise you can do in your home), breathe deeply, and shout your inspirational
message to start your learning journey (e.g., “Laban!”, “Kaya ko to!”, “Fighting!” etc.) Don’t forget to
hydrate yourself occasionally. Lastly, don’t forget to write the important key concepts or words to
maximize your learning.
A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW
1) Introduction (2 mins)
The increasing trend of using online information by patients is currently creating a need for
healthcare professionals to stay current on information regarding medical practice and treatment. The
accessibility of information online has created a problem of accuracy and reliability. In clinical practice,
providing inaccurate and outdated information may cause patient harm. Hence, it is essential that
pharmacists be knowledgeable on how to evaluate different information found online for validity and
reliability.
2) Activity 1: What I Know Chart, part 1 (3 mins)
Instruction: On the table next page, write on the first column on what you know about on this topic
based on the question next to it. No worries if you aren’t sure with your answer for this is only your
guide on what you and what to focus for this topic. Keep the third column blank as you will encounter
them again on the part 2.
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |1
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
What I Know Questions: What I Learned (Activity 4)
1. Why it is important to evaluate
the different information found
online
2. Is there an organization that
checks the legitimacy and
correctness of health information
online? If so, enumerate at least 1
[Link] LESSON
1) Activity 2: Content Notes (30 mins)
Instructions: Highlight and take note the important concepts you will encounter in the module.
ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES
A.) Internet Searches or Electronic resources are helpful as a starting point for questions about
uncommon diseases, new terms, drugs in development, or marketed OTC products and combination
dietary supplements.
It may be useful for topics that have recently been in the news, where information is changing more
rapidly than standard medical resources can be updated. The sites maintained by educational
institutions, non-profit medical organizations, or a division of the U.S. government are likely to
contain high-quality information. The information maintained by a company selling and promoting a
specific product may be more questionable. Electronic resources allow quicker access to information,
simultaneous multiple searches, and the use of the same resource at more than one location.
B.)
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Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
C.) Other information sources include newswire services like PR Newswire or news network websites, such
as CNN and local news websites like Manila Bulletin, Philippine Inquirer, ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5. These
can be a source of overview of popular and trending medical issues. Identifying the authors via medical
organizations focusing on specific disease states, leadership in medical societies, or authoring numerous
papers on specific medication or medical condition ensures the correctness and the validity of the information,
as well as helps the pharmacists to obtain information about the current practice standards and emerging
therapies. Another valuable source of information are pharmaceutical industries, especially for new
molecules, status of clinical trials, and product-specific information.
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |3
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
❖ Consumers are increasingly taking interest in their healthcare, which includes:
✓ Gaining knowledge about different treatment option available
✓ Participating in preventive care programs
✓ Asking more direct questions about the care they’re receiving
❖ With that, many of them are turning to the internet to research information about their
medication.
❖ However, in contrast to what most consumers believe, the information found on the
internet is not always accurate and complete.
❖ Consumers and practitioners alike should be aware of this when searching the web for
health-related information.
EXAMINING THE AUTHENTICITY OF INTERNET SOURCES AND TO ASSESS THE QUALITY OF IT
❖ Several characteristics should be considered when evaluating the health information provided by a
website, including the following:
A. Content
1. The information should be presented at an appropriate level for the intended audience
2. The information should be accurate, complete, and presented in a logical manner that is
balanced and neutral.
3. Evidence of peer review or an editorial review board may lend credibility to the accuracy and
completeness of the information
4. Sensational or overly positive words such as “miracle ingredient”, “amazing result”, and “vital
product” should be avoided
5. The text should be free of grammatical and spelling errors
6. Opinions should be labeled and represented as such and should not be presented as facts
7. Opinions, conclusions, and summaries presented should be consistent with factual
information
8. Any hyperlinks contained should link to relevant and reputable websites.
B. Currency
1. Determining how current the information is
2. Review the information to determine if it is current. Checking the reference listed or
comparing the information with any recent work in the field, may help evaluate if the
information is up to date.
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |4
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
C. Author/Source
1. The authors or source of information should be identified.
2. Contact info for the authors/source should be provided to enable a reader to ask questions or
request additional information.
3. The purpose of the website should primarily be for education and not for product promotion.
4. The website should be free from bias and authors should not be financially affiliated with the
products or services provided.
D. References/documentation
1. References should be cited completely so the information can be verified, and they should be
from reputable sources
2. They should be scientifically sound and, if related to therapy, should refer to clinical trials in
humans
E. Site Design and Organization
1. The design should allow for easy navigation through the material. If the information is lengthy,
an index or topic outline should be present to allow sections of interest to be readily
accessed.
2. Overly flashy graphics should be avoided since they may be used to distract from inaccurate
or incomplete information.
3. There should be a prominent disclaimer that states the health information is not intended as
medical advice or to replace a health care provider
F. Privacy Policy
1. Is the website’s privacy policy readily available?
2. Does the website collect any information about the visitors to the site? If yes, is it clear how
that information is used?
.
G. Domain
1. one of the keys to check the reliability and credibility of information.
a) .gov – government sites
b) .edu – educational institution
c) .org – organization (owned by nonprofit organizations)
d) .com – commercial, business site
e) .net – other site that doesn’t fall to mentioned domains above
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |5
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
2. Trend
ORGANIZATIONS THAT EVALUATE THE WEBSITE CREDIBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH-
RELATED INFORMATION
❖ Health On the Net (HON), a nonprofit
organization in official relations with the World
Health Organization (WHO), is one organization
that promotes transparent and reliable health
information online.
❖ They provide guidelines for site developers to use
to create websites that provide high quality,
objective, and transparent medical information
tailored to the needs of the audience
❖ HON code – a tool patient and health
practitioners can use to assess the quality of
an internet site.
❖ If the site meets the criteria for the code of
conduct, there will be a symbol with the words
HONcode placed at the bottom of the website.
❖ This is a voluntary program that each site must
apply for.
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |6
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
❖ URAC is a Washington DC-based non-profit
organization that helps promote health care
quality through the accreditation of
organizations involved in medical care
services, as well as by offering education and
measurement programs.
❖ Founded under the name Utilization Review
Accreditation Commission in 1990, the name
"was shortened to the acronym URAC in 1996
when it began accrediting other types of
organizations such as health plans, pharmacies,
and provider organization.
2) Activity 3: Skill-building Activities (with answer key) (25 mins)
Focusing on the following criteria given to you, kindly evaluate the website “[Link] You
can check the website using your browsers.
ELEMENTS EVALUATION CRITERIA AND RESPONSE
1. Does the website have the information that should be accurate, complete, and
presented in a logical manner that is balanced and neutral?
Evaluation:
2. Does the website have sensational or overly positive words?
CONTENT Evaluation:
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Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
3. Do the texts on the website are free of grammatical and spelling errors?
Evaluation:
4. Is there an evidence of peer review or an editorial review board found on the
website?
Evaluation:
1. Is the information found on website current and up to date?
Evaluation:
2. Does the references used in the website current and up to date?
Evaluation:
CURRENCY
1. Does the website identify its authors?
Evaluation:
AUTHOR/
SOURCE
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |8
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
2. Does the website’s authors have contacts in case the reader has further
questions regarding with their work?
Evaluation:
3. Does the purpose of the website primarily for education and not for product
promotion?
Evaluation:
4. Does the website free from bias and sponsored information from commercial
companies?
Evaluation:
5. Did the investigator stated the null hypothesis or is it the alternative hypothesis
stated? If so, what were the major null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis?
Evaluation:
1. Are references cited completely on any articles found on website?
Evaluation:
REFERENCE
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION Page |9
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
2. Does the references include on the website are from a reputable source?
Evaluation:
3. Does the references found scientifically sound and, if related to therapy, does it
refer to clinical trials in humans?
Evaluation:
1. Does the design of the website user friendly?
Evaluation:
2. Does the site free from overly flashy graphics?
SITE DESIGN
AND Evaluation:
ORGANIZATION
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION P a g e | 10
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
3. Does the site have prominent disclaimer that states the health information is not
intended as medical advice or to replace a health care provider
Evaluation:
1. Is the website’s privacy policy readily available?
Evaluation:
2. Does the website collect any information about the visitors to the site? If yes, is it
PRIVACY clear how that information is used?
POLICY
Evaluation:
3. What is the website’s domain? Does the domain of this website be trusted with
reliable information
Evaluation:
OTHERS
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION P a g e | 11
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
4. Does the website have any signs of any organizations that evaluate the website
credibility when it comes to health-related information?
Evaluation:
3) Activity 4: What I Know Chart, part 2 (3 mins)
To review what was learned from this session, please go back to Activity 1 and answer the “What I
Learned” column. Notice and reflect on any changes in your answers.
4) Activity 5: Check for Understanding (10 mins)
Now it’s time for you to figure this one out on your own! Take time to read, analyze, and
understand the following scenarios. Answer key will provide during our discussion session.
A. Multiple Choice: Choose the best and correct answer to every question. Write the CAPITAL
LETTER of your final answer before the number.
_____1. When the website has .edu in their domain, the one who manage this website must be
from:
A. Charities or nonprofit organization C. Business institution
B. Government D. Educational institution
_____2. When the website has .gov in their domain, the one who manage this website must be
from:
A. Charities or nonprofit organization C. Business institution
B. Government D. Educational institution
_____3. When evaluating the content of a website, the user must see to it that:
A. Information shared from the website is up to date
B. The text should be free of grammatical and spelling errors
C. The site’s privacy policy should be readily available and easily accessed.
D. The info from the website should be scientifically sound and, if related to therapy,
should refer to clinical trials in humans
This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION P a g e | 12
Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
_____4. When evaluating the author of a website, the user must see to it that:
A. Information shared from the website is up to date
B. The website should be free from bias and authors should not be financially affiliated
with the products or services provided
C. The site’s privacy policy should be readily available and easily accessed.
D. The info from the website should be scientifically sound and, if related to therapy,
should refer to clinical trials in humans
_____5. When I check the credibility of a website by seeing that the information is current, then I
am evaluating the ________ of the website.
A. Content C. References/Documentation
B. Privacy Policy D. Currency
_____6. When I check the credibility of a website by determining if that website collects any
information about the visitors to the site and if yes, it has a clear explanation on how that
information will be used, then I am evaluating the ________ of the website
A. Privacy policy C. References/Documentation
B. Content D. Currency
_____7. When I check the credibility of a website by seeing that the design should allow for easy
navigation through the material, then I am evaluating the ________ of the website
A. Currency C. Content
B. References D. Site design and organization
_____8. This is a nonprofit organization that helps promote health care quality through the
accreditation of organizations involved in medical care services, as well as by offering
education and measurement programs.
A. Health on the Net C. Interpol
B. URAC D. Alliance on the Safety of the Net
______9. This site contains information about conditions and diseases of special interest to women
A. [Link] C. [Link]
B. [Link] D. [Link]
_____10. This site has information about the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.
A. [Link] C. [Link]
B. [Link] D. [Link]
C. LESSON WRAP-UP
1) Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)
A. Work Tracker
You are done with this session! Let’s track your progress. Shade the session number you just
completed.
P1 P2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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Course Code: PHA 006
(Pharmacy Informatics)
Student Activity Sheet Module #5
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
B. Think about your Learning
It’s time to reflect! What interests you about the lesson today?
Explain why.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
FAQ/s
1. How to easily check the credibility of a website?
Here are some of the easy and fast way to check the website credibility:1
A. look for an "about us", "credits", or "biography" page to find authors and sources.
B. look for author's contact information and professional affiliations such as a university.
C. look up authors to see if they are really an expert.
2. Why is it we need to review the information from the .com website domain?
.com domain is a Commercial site. The information provided by commercial interests is generally going
to shed a positive light on the product it promotes. While this information might not necessarily be false, you
might be getting only part of the picture. Remember, there's a monetary incentive behind every commercial site
in providing you with information, whether it is for good public relations or to sell you a product outright, so you
have to assess whether the information is credible or not.2
KEY TO CORRECTIONS
For Act 3.
This criterion will be used as basis for giving of points to your evaluation
8 - 10 POINTS 5 - 7 POINTS 3 - 4 POINTS 0 - 2 POINTS
CRITERIA
Expert Proficient Apprentice Novice
Articulation of Evaluated the website Evaluated the website Evaluated the website Evaluated the website but
Answer in very informative in somewhat with new information gives no new information
and well-organized informative and well- but fairly organized and very poorly organized
style organized answer answer answer
No spelling, Few spelling and A number of spellings, So many spelling,
punctuation, or punctuation errors, punctuation or punctuation, and
Grammar grammatical error minor grammatical grammatical error grammatical errors that it
and errors interferes with the
Mechanics meaning.
CITATION
1
[Link]
2
[Link]
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