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AMA 11th Referencing Guide

Referencing guide for the 11th Edition of AMA Style

Drug Databases and similar resources

Use this if:

  • You are citing an entry in an online drug information database.

You will need (minimum information in bold):

  • Author(s) (if available)
  • Entry title (in sentence case - not in italics)
  • Editor(s) (if available)
  • Database title (in italics - in Title Case)
  • Publisher's name
  • Published date (at least year, if available) OR
  • Updated date (if different to published date - at least year, if available)
  • Accessed date
  • URL

 

Standard database pattern:

Author AA, Author BB. Title of entry [type of entry, if applicable]. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds (if available). Title of Database. Publisher’s name. Published (or Updated) date (at least year, if available). Accessed date. URL

Examples:

  1. Paracetamol. In: Brayfield, A, ed. Martindale: the Complete Drug Reference. Pharmaceutical Press. Updated October 31, 2014. Accessed February 20, 2015. http://www.medicinescomplete.com
  2. Paracetamol (Systemic). Drug monograph. In: AusDI database. Phoenix Medical Publishing. Updated May 28, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://ausdi-hcn-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/productMonograph.hcn?file=0460
  3. Ginger. In: Natural Standard: the Authority on Integrative Medicine. Natural Standard. Updated July 10, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://naturalmedicines-therapeuticresearch-com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=961
  4. Liquid paraffin. In: Australian Medicines Handbook. Australian Medicines Handbook. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://amhonline-amh-net-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/chapters/gastrointestinal-drugs/laxatives/stool-softeners/liquid-paraffin?menu=vertical
  5. Prevention of endocarditis. In: eTG Complete. Therapeutic Guidelines. April, 2019. Updated August 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://tgldcdp-tg-org-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/viewTopic?topicfile=infection-prevention-endocarditis&guidelineName=Antibiotic&topicNavigation=navigateTopic#toc_d1e47
  6. Prozac (Product info). In: MIMS Online. MIMS Australia. Updated September, 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://www-mimsonline-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/Search/AbbrPI.aspx?ModuleName=Product%20Info&searchKeyword=Prozac+Capsules&PreviousPage=~/Search/QuickSearch.aspx&SearchType=&ID=5050001_2
  7. Propylthiouracil. In: DynaMed. EBSCO Information Services. Updated July 22, 2020. Accessed September 30, 2020. https://www.dynamed.com/drug-monograph/propylthiouracil

Tip: For DynaMed, last date modified (updated) in Drugs A-Z is near the bottom of the page under References.

If you were referring to the database as a whole, rather than an individual entry in the database, you would skip the reference to the authors and title of the entry and begin with the Editors (if there are any) or the title of the database.

  1. MIMS Online. MIMS Australia; September 2020. Accessed September 1, 2020. https://www-mimsonline-com-au.elibrary.jcu.edu.au

Notes:

  • If there are no authors, begin with the title of the entry.

NB: This pattern is based on a combination of the formats for databases and book chapters, as the AMA manual recommends citing databases as a whole but at JCU it is preferred practice to pinpoint the entry used.

Pharmacopoeia

Use this format if:

  • You are using an entry from a Pharmacopoeia, encyclopaedia, medical dictionary or similar reference work
  • N.B. This is the same pattern used for a book chapter (EndNote Users: use "book section" and leave the author field blank)

You will need (minimum information in bold):

  • Author(s) (if available)
  • Chapter Title (in sentence case - not in italics)
  • Editor(s) (if available)
  • Pharmacopoeia/Encyclopaedia title (in italics - in Title Case)
  • Volume number and title (if there is more than one volume).
  • Edition number (if it is not the first edition)
  • Publisher's name
  • latest copyright year
  • Inclusive page numbers
  • Accessed date (if online - only if using URL)
  • DOI or URL (if online)

 

Pharmacopoeia entry (also used for encyclopedia and dictionary entries)

Author AA, Author BB. Title of entry. In: Editor AA, Editor BB, eds. Title of Pharmacopoeia. Vol no. Nth ed. Publisher; Year:page numbers. Accessed Month DD, YYYY. DOI or URL

Examples:

  1. Ceylon cinnamon bark oil. In: British Pharmacopoeia 2013. Vol 5. The Stationery Office; 2012:3659-3660.
  2. Carbamazepine tablets. In: The Pharmocopeia of the United States of America. Vol 2. 31st  ed. The United States Pharmocopeial Convention; 2007:1631.
  3. Antihistamines. In Andrews A, Boden E eds. Black's Veterinary Dictionary. Bloomsbury; 2015. Accessed July 20, 2015. http://search.credoreference.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/content/entry/acbvet/antihistamines/0

Notes:

  • Authors for the entry or editors for the book may not be available.
  • Contributors to encyclopedia and dictionaries are sometimes indicated by initials at the end of the entries - always try to find an author rather than assuming there isn't one simply because you cannot see a name in an obvious location.
  • Online books may not have page numbers.

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