Not State or Country Specific - Basic Information you should research prior to F2F

[barq2]

This is a super old post. But helpful and informative. Just found “the pill book” on Amazon for cheap too. I’ve alway naturally tried not to insult or offend my doctors ego because in the past I’ve seen doctors totally shutdown if you act like you’ve done research or are saying you know. Always struck me as odd because the patient is the person most awear of symptoms and objectively feeling it for themselves, therefore, they do come up with solutions and have ideas. But this post reminds me yes, best to be wise and play the role, remember your place and operate smarter.

Thanks for bumping this thread, which contains excellent information. I totally agree about not acting like you know too much. For example if I'm after a particular medicine, I'll always make sure I struggle to remember the name.

Outside the USA you might want to check if your country uses the alternative book called the ICD-11, which is from the World Health Organisation. It's a useful equivalent of the DSM. Easy to find online.

In the UK the British National Formulary (BNF) is a book GPs often turn to. It's published by NICE but unfortunately access online isn't easy unless you have university access or are a medical professional. It is incredibly detailed about all the meds the NHS will prescribe, what they do, contraindications etc. You can get a sense of what it covers if you google it and explore the site. You might be able to get access via your local library - although they may need to get it via interlibrary loan. Sometimes you'll find it is a reference book you can't remove but only photocopy.

Finally let me add the Merck Manual which you can pick up secondhand and is an A-Z of all illnesses, how to diagnose and treat.