Among drug bulletins this probably has the most elaborate scrutiny, including many family medicine reviewers, and the strongest statements about the value of a medication. Its 26 pages make it look like a journal. An abstract appears at the beginning of each article. Samples of these reviews can be found each month in the Canadian Family Physician. The Australian Prescriber provides another excellent independent review of medications in magazine format.
Writing is crisp and layouts attractive with key points boxed.
A synopsis opens each article and brief references are provided, followed by the novelty of a consumer comment. Self-tests are included. The editor has a policy of reviewing new drugs early, even before complete information is available. Australian drug approvals usually precede Canada s and sometimes the drug brand names are different. The best source of unbiased systematic reviews of drug therapy evidence is the Cochrane Library , available on CD ROM with 4 updates annually or on the Internet with paid subscription.