Comparison

Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E vs ACLSMED Sim

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

Head to head
About

Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E

Features
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The up-to-date content and proven study techniques you need to pass one of the most difficult courses in medical school Presented in a style that makes learning and retaining key information effortless, Basic Concepts in Pharmacology clearly explains each fundamental principal of drug actions. This updated edition includes the popular Trivia Sorter, which helps you understand the mechanism of action for the class of drugs and its side effects; consider if the drug is for a disorder or symptom; determine the unique features of single drugs in this class; and know the side effects and drug interactions of the class of drugs. Walking you through the learning process in a way that helps you master each concept before moving on to the next, Basic Concepts in Pharmacology encourages you to organize and condense the drug information you must remember; review key information, which is conveniently presented in boxes, tables, and illustrations; and identify the most important drugs in each class. Features: β€’ 640 photos and illustrations β€’ Includes study techniques not found in any other such resources β€’ Key information presented in boxes, illustrations and tables This app is very intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing you to browse the contents or search for topics. The powerful search tool gives you word suggestions that appear in the text as you type, so it is lightning fast and helps with spelling those long medical terms. The search tool also keeps a recent history of past search terms so you can go back to a previous search result very easily. You have the ability to create notes and bookmarks separately for text, images and tables to enhance your learning. You can also change the text size for easier reading. After the app has been downloaded, no internet connection is needed to retrieve the content of the app. All of the text and images are available to you on your device anytime, anywhere, and lightning fast. This app is also automatically optimized for whatever size device you are currently using, either phone or tablet. This interactive app contains the full content of Basic Concepts in Pharmacology: What You Need to Know for Each Drug Class, Sixth Edition by McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN-13: 978-1264264841 ISBN-10: 1264264844 Editor: Janet L. Stringer, MD, PhD Disclaimer: This app is intended for the education of healthcare professionals and not as a diagnostic and treatment reference for the general population. Developed by Usatine Media Richard P. Usatine, MD, Co-President, Professor of Family & Community Medicine, Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Texas Health San Antonio

About

ACLSMED Sim

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ACLSMED Simulator turns an iPad into a high-fidelity clinical training rig: patient monitor + defibrillator + pacer, driven by an instructor remote on a second iPad or your iPhone, plus a ventilator, an IV pump and a six-station CPR skills trainer. Built for nursing schools, paramedic programs, residency simulation labs, and ACLS courses. Aligned with AHA 2025 guidelines. WHAT'S IN THE APP β€’ MONITOR ROLE β€” Full patient monitor with up to six clinical channels: HR/ECG, ART/NIBP, PA, CVP, SpOβ‚‚, and EtCOβ‚‚. Real-time waveform engine, alarm flash, integrated defibrillator (charge β†’ shock β†’ reset), and transcutaneous pacer. Redesigned in 2.6.1 with real keys and nine device styles. β€’ INSTRUCTOR ROLE β€” Educator-facing control panel. Drive vitals, switch among 47 rhythm presets (sinus, atrial, SVT, junctional, ventricular, AV blocks, paced, arrest), run 33 megacode scenarios, trigger alarms, toggle CPR artifact, and step through 12-lead ECG presentations. Runs on iPad, or on iPhone and iPhone Duo as a one-handed remote. β€’ IVMED ROLE β€” Infusion pump trainer with a 61-drug library, weight-based dosing, and soft/hard limit alerts. β€’ RESPMED ROLE β€” Ventilator trainer, rebuilt in 2.6.1: every mode from AC/VC to APRV draws real lung-model waveforms, with trigger dips, auto-PEEP, holds, lung pathologies, and ABG. Change it from the Remote. β€’ CPR SIMULATOR ROLE β€” A multi-station CPR skills trainer on one iPad. Up to six students place an iPhone running the free ACLSMED CPR app on a training manikin's sternum, hands on top: a two-minute timed test with a live quality bar per student, ring-gauge results for rate, depth zone, and hands-on time, a class leaderboard β€” and every student's grade delivered to their own phone. Phones join with a class code (QR or 6 digits). WORKS WITH ACLSMED CPR (FREE) ACLSMED CPR is our free iPhone companion for manikin practice: the phone lies under the student's hands and measures rate, depth zones, and hands-on time, with a 110/min metronome. Alone it scores solo practice; paired, it powers the CPR Simulator test and the monitor's compression artefact. Student phones never need a seat. β€’ PAIRING β€” Private classrooms: only devices signed in to your account join, over local Wi-Fi with Bluetooth fallback; every message is signed. β€’ AUDIO β€” Synthesized HR beep tracking SpOβ‚‚, ICU alarms, defib tones, CPR metronome, and voice prompts. β€’ OFFLINE β€” Once paired, the simulation runs entirely on-device. WHO IT'S FOR Nurses, paramedics, EMTs, medical students, residents, and ACLS instructors who need a portable, repeatable, clinically credible megacode environment. SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED ACLSMED Simulator requires a plan, purchased in the app. Two tiers, each as an auto-renewing monthly or annual subscription or a one-time lifetime license: β€’ ACLSMED Pro Patient Monitor + Instructor Remote + CPR Simulator (one Monitor and one Remote, iPad or iPhone) β€’ ACLSMED Suite adds IVmed pump + RESPmed ventilator (up to four devices) Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel in Settings β†’ Apple ID β†’ Subscriptions. One account activates every device in your bundle. Privacy Policy: https://www.aclsmed.com/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.aclsmed.com/terms.html REQUIREMENTS β€’ iPad (9th generation / A13 or newer), iPadOS 17 or later β€’ iPhone or iPad for the instructor remote, iOS 17 or later β€’ Local Wi-Fi or Bluetooth between devices β€’ An active ACLSMED plan (purchased in-app) β€’ CPR Simulator: free ACLSMED CPR app on student iPhones (iOS 17+) IMPORTANT Educational only not diagnostic. ACLSMED Simulator is a teaching tool for clinical education and exam preparation. CPR features are for practice on training manikins only. It is not a medical device, is not for use on patients, and must never be used to make diagnostic or treatment decisions. SUPPORT Email: support@aclsmed.com Web: https://www.aclsmed.com

Screenshots

Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E4 screens
ACLSMED Sim4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ACLSMED Sim at Free against Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E's $39.99. ACLSMED Sim also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 18 months). Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

ACLSMED Sim is free to download; Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E costs $39.99 up front. ACLSMED Sim sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E ships an update every 18 months, ACLSMED Sim every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E versus ACLSMED Sim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic Concepts Pharmacology 6EACLSMED Sim
Price$39.99Free β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 18 monthsEvery 10 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size28 MB69 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperUsatine & Erickson Media LLCMark Daniel Figueroa

In-app purchases

None

Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

ACLSMED Sim

Subscriptions4
  • ACLSMED Pro β€” Monthly$19.991 Month
  • ACLSMED Suite β€” Monthly$29.991 Month
  • ACLSMED Pro β€” Annual$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • ACLSMED Suite β€” Annual$179.991 Year
One-time2
  • ACLSMED Pro β€” Lifetime$399.99
  • ACLSMED Suite β€” Lifetime$799.99

Questions

Is Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E free?
Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E costs $39.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ACLSMED Sim free?
ACLSMED Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E or ACLSMED Sim have ads?
Neither Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E nor ACLSMED Sim shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E or ACLSMED Sim?
Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E ships an update every 18 months, and ACLSMED Sim every 10 days. Most recently, Basic Concepts Pharmacology 6E was updated on October 9, 2026 and ACLSMED Sim on October 25, 2026.

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