Lifesaving app is in the (doctor's) bag

A new smartphone app—designed to support Australian health professionals during emergencies—has been officially launched by Australian Prescriber and NPS MedicineWise.
The Doctor's Bag is a free app that provides recommended doses for drugs in the PBS Prescriber Bag, including calculators for weight-based dosing in children. It also provides a step-by-step guide for the management of anaphylaxis based on the Australian Prescriber anaphylaxis wall chart.
It acts as an says the new Doctor's Bag app is emergency backup, providing reassurance that the correct dose has been given. It can also be used as an educational tool in non-emergency settings, with information kept up to date as the contents of the PBS Prescriber Bag change.
Editor of Australian Prescriber, Dr John Dowden, an innovative, potentially life-saving tool that was developed after extensive market research including focus groups with GPs.
"When Australian Prescriber updated the emergency drug doses list in February 2012, a number of readers asked for something to replace the older dose card format," said Dr Dowden.
"In an age where smartphones and mobile devices are ubiquitous, it made sense to explore this option. After many phases of research and testing, the idea for The Doctor's Bag app—an app that combined emergency drug doses and the anaphylaxis wall chart—was formed.
"The result is a very useful tool for GPs that meets an important need in the community."
For more information go to www.australianprescriber.com/resources/the-doctors-bag
To download the app on an Apple or Android device, search for The Doctor's Bag on app stores