Knowledge and ideas about drugs are constantly changing. New drugs come on the market and experience with existing drugs expands. Side effects become better known and new indications or ways of using existing drugs are developed. In general a physician is expected to know about developments in drug therapy. For example, if a drug-induced illness occurs which the physician could have known and prevented, courts in many countries would hold the doctor liable. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse.

How can you keep up-to-date? This problem can be solved in the usual way: make an inventory of available types of information; compare their advantages and disadvantages; and choose your own source(s) of information.