The perils of PDAs

Software manufacturers use various means to protect their products from piracy, including registration codes. If problems are encountered when attempting to install software on a new device, the user should first try re-installing the software. If this fails, he or she can try re-installing the software using the same “hotsync” name as was used for the original handheld device. If the registration code is specific to the device hardware, the user should approach the company that sells or publishes the database and ask for a new version of the program or a new serial number, as David Openshaw tried to do. It is disconcerting that in Openshaw's case, there was no response from the distributor. We hope that all software companies come to realize the importance of word of mouth in a field as collegial as medicine.

In the area of pharmacopeias, ePocrates remains the most popular choice among physicians. This popularity is directly related to its availability free of charge. In addition, the ePocrates medication database is updated regularly and has a unique “multicheck” feature to look up drug interactions. However, other pharma- copeias provide a greater breadth of information, and some also include Canadian drug information.¹ We share Joseph Copeland's concerns regarding ePocrates' physician detailing practices. The ePocrates privacy policy² suggests that aggregate demographic and software usage records may be shared with third parties, but that personal user information, such as e-mail addresses and other contact information, is kept private. Ultimately, users must decide whether the benefits of this program outweigh the costs of disclosure.

Feisal A. Adatia Philippe L. Bedard Senior Medical Students Faculty of Medicine University of Toronto Toronto, Ont.