Comparison

DrugDoses vs MBS Search

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

DrugDoses

Provides precise medication dosages and critical medical information for healthcare professionals, particularly in pediatric intensive care. Includes extensive drug listings, lab values, cardiology data, and pediatric calculation tools for enhanced patient safety and treatment.

Highlights
  • Extensive drug database (2,150+ entries)
  • Pediatric calculation tools (PedCalc)
  • Lab values and cardiology database
  • Up-to-date medication information
  • Adult and pediatric drug listings
Features
Read full description

Designed for pediatric intensivists, DrugDoses provides precise and up-to-date medication information to ensure the safety and recovery of your patients. With over 2,150 drug entries, it’s a comprehensive resource for commonly prescribed drugs for both adults and children. Frank Shann’s DrugDoses booklet has been a trusted tool for nearly 40 years. The iOS version keeps you at the forefront of therapeutic advancements, updating drug information faster than the paper version. Beyond drug listings, the app includes over 150 lab values and a complete cardiology database, making it a versatile resource for critical medical information. The integrated PedCalc tool offers essential pediatric scores and formulas, including: ASA score Alveolo-arterial gradient Anion gap Apgar score Blunt abdominal trauma score Body mass index Body surface area Corrected Ca Creatinine clearance (measured & estimated) Endotracheal tube sizes FeNa Glasgow Coma Score Glasgow Outcome Scale Ideal Body Weight Maintenance fluids Mallampati score NACA score Neonatal central lines Oxygen index PaO2/FiO2 ratio Parkland formula Pediatric trauma score Predicted height & spirometry values QTc interval Tubular phosphate reabsorption Vital Signs Follow us on Facebook (http://facebook.drugdoses.net) for updates and to share suggestions. Our Privacy Policy is available at www.drugdoses.net/privacy. DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this app is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. It is based on the reference: Drug Doses, by Frank Shann, 17th edition, Melbourne, Australia, 2017, Collective Pty, Limited, ISBN: 9780648005308. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content, the authors and developers cannot guarantee that it is free from errors or omissions. Users are responsible for making their own clinical decisions based on the information provided in this app. By using this app, you acknowledge that: - You are a healthcare professional. - You understand that the information provided is for educational purposes only. - You should consult relevant medical literature or colleagues when making clinical decisions, as this app is not a substitute for professional judgment. - You take full responsibility for the clinical decisions you make based on the information provided. - You understand that the authors and developers are not liable for any errors or omissions in the content or for any outcomes related to its use. This disclaimer must be agreed to upon first use of the app and will remain accessible in the settings for future reference. For questions, suggestions, or feedback, please email us at info@drugdoses.net.

About

MBS Search

Access the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule on your iPhone to quickly find item numbers and calculate bills. It offers fee descriptions with Gap Cover rates and allows for easy bill emailing and creation of favorite item lists.

Highlights
  • Find Medicare item numbers quickly
  • Calculate bills for multiple item numbers
  • View Gap Cover rates
  • Automatic Assistant fee calculations
  • Email bills and item numbers
  • Create favorite item lists
Features
Read full description

Get the latest Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule free on your iPhone: Find items numbers super fast. Automatically calculate bills for cases with multiple item numbers. Fee descriptions include Gap Cover rates for 60 different fee schedules. Automatic Assistant fee calculations. Email bills and item numbers to your rooms: simple out of pocket expense calculations. Create your own favourites for commonly used items or groups of items.

Screenshots

DrugDoses4 screens
MBS Search4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MBS Search at Free against DrugDoses's $14.99. MBS Search also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). DrugDoses's advantage is ratings volume (37 vs 1) and review sentiment (64% vs 49%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MBS Search is free to download; DrugDoses costs $14.99 up front. DrugDoses sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. MBS Search asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MBS Search holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DrugDoses has 37 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of DrugDoses's written reviews are positive against 49% of MBS Search's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DrugDoses ships an update every 9 months, MBS Search every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
DrugDoses versus MBS Search: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrugDosesMBS Search
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (37 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.4% of reviews — better49.3% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB28 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperOliver KaramUmbrella Network Pty Limited

Customer experience

DrugDoses

All ratings36 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral2.8%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral15.3%
Negative20.3%

MBS Search

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews69 reviews
Positive49.3%
Neutral10.1%
Negative40.6%

User reviews

DrugDoses

From 37 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent resource for drug doses
  • 👍 Practical and handy app
  • 👍 Standard reference in practice
  • 👍 Replaces physical book well
  • 👍 Superb for bush hospitals

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Format is terrible
  • 🐛 Unformatted text blocks
  • 🐛 No spacing in doses
  • 🐛 Difficult to read
  • 🐛 Terrible interface

MBS Search

From 1 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast search
  • 💡 Up-to-date codes
  • 👍 User friendly
  • 💡 Great for surgeons

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashing
  • 🐛 Unstable
  • 🐛 Favorites disappear
  • 🐛 Item numbers not updated
  • 🐛 Inaccurate calculations

Bugs and requests

DrugDoses

Reported bugs

29 issues
  • Code blue not working
  • Cannot enter decimal in drug dosage
  • Purchase not restorable
  • License expiring unexpectedly
  • Payment issues (not allowed to make payment)
Show 24 more
  • App not compatible with iOS 8
  • Unable to open and use all functions on new iPhone
  • App won't work due to expired license
  • Paediatric dosage calculator disabled
  • Code Blue, PedCalc, PICU guidelines not working
  • App crashes or freezes
  • Cannot select lowest few drugs in search list
  • Features removed in updates
  • No calculator implementation
  • Information is scanty
  • UI and text formatting need improvement
  • Terrible typesetting reproduced
  • Cannot put decimal points in weight for calculations
  • Calculator not integrated with drug list
  • Palm PDA version was better
  • Missing normal vital signs by age
  • Missing estimated weight for age
  • Missing ET tube sizes by age
  • Missing intranasal fentanyl doses
  • Missing infusions compatibility table
  • Missing values for ETT sizes
  • Missing DC shock energy
  • Missing useful notes pages
  • Calculator not at bottom of screen

Requested features

38 requests
  • Add side effects and pharmacodynamics information
  • Improve text formatting and spacing
  • Support modern screen sizes
  • Add regular updates
  • Implement a restore purchase feature
Show 33 more
  • Fix license expiration issues
  • Add dark mode
  • Improve UI and text formatting
  • Add decimal points for weight calculations
  • Integrate calculator on each drug screen
  • Improve resuscitation calculator
  • Add infusions compatibility table
  • Include values for ETT sizes
  • Include DC shock energy
  • Include useful notes pages
  • Combine with PICU Guidelines app
  • Incorporate calculator with drug list for instant dose display
  • Add weight-based dose calculation
  • Add intranasal fentanyl doses
  • Add normal vital signs by age
  • Add estimated weight for age
  • Add ET tube sizes by age
  • Add calculator at bottom of screen
  • Update to iOS 8 compatibility
  • Fix bugs for iOS 8
  • Fix iPhone 6 plus compatibility
  • Fix babies between neonatal and 1yo weights for calculator
  • Keep Australian spelling
  • Acknowledge Frank Shann on load screen
  • Improve navigation within favourites list
  • Change first page back to book cover
  • Add weight input for drug dose display
  • Add roast potato recipe (joking)
  • Update to latest edition of Frank's book
  • Make app free or more affordable
  • Add more drug information
  • Improve calculator functionality
  • Add more features to resuscitation calculator

MBS Search

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • Crashes after latest update
  • Item numbers difficult to find for GP
  • Medicare rebate calculation incorrect
  • Crashing frequently
  • No ability to change insurance details
Show 15 more
  • Items only show Medicare rates
  • Item numbers not updated
  • Lost favorites after updates
  • Favorites reset randomly
  • Crashes with iPhone X
  • Crashes when changing anesthesia billing times
  • Crashing with iOS update
  • Excision section broken
  • Favorites wiped on upgrade
  • Calculation for 51303 not accurate
  • Cannot scan patient label
  • Not working with iPhone 5
  • Crashes on start up
  • Hangs and crashes on skin procedures menu
  • No listing of fees for visits

Requested features

7 requests
  • Update insurance covers
  • Update with July release codes
  • Add landscape orientation for iPad
  • Improve sorting of categories
  • Easier favorite adding
Show 2 more
  • Ability to mail log book
  • Differentiate GP vs Specialist procedures

In-app purchases

4 purchases

DrugDoses

Subscriptions1
  • One year license renewal$4.991 Year
One-time3
  • PedCalc 1st bundle$0.99
  • PICU Guidelines$4.99
  • Lifetime license$4.99
None

MBS Search

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DrugDoses free?
DrugDoses costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is MBS Search free?
MBS Search is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DrugDoses or MBS Search?
MBS Search is rated higher. DrugDoses averages 4.6 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while MBS Search averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do DrugDoses or MBS Search have ads?
Neither DrugDoses nor MBS Search shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DrugDoses or MBS Search?
DrugDoses ships an update every 9 months, and MBS Search every 6 weeks. Most recently, DrugDoses was updated on October 31, 2026 and MBS Search on November 1, 2026.

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