Comparison

Mosby's Drug Reference vs Medicine Dictionary

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

Head to head
About

Mosby's Drug Reference

This app provides healthcare professionals with comprehensive drug information, including actions, usage, dosage, interactions, and side effects. It emphasizes patient safety with Black Box Warnings, Safety Alerts, and information on life-threatening side effects. Features include custom notes, highlights, and quick search functionality.

Highlights
  • Over 5,000 drug listings
  • Black Box Warnings and Safety Alerts
  • Drug action, usage, dosage, interactions, side effects
  • Custom notes and highlights
  • Full text search
  • Appendix of recent FDA-approvals
Features
Read full description

14-Day Free Trial ** Trusted by Health Care Professionals for Over 30 Years ** ABOUT MOSBY’S DRUG REFERENCE Based on the latest edition, Mosby's Drug Reference provides health care professionals with the tools they need to eliminate errors and improve accuracy. Drug monographs feature concise, easy-to-understand information and make finding answers easy with sections on each drug's action, usage, dosage, interactions, side effects, and more. With an emphasis on patient safety, this best-selling app includes Black Box Warnings for dangerous adverse reactions, Safety Alerts for situations requiring special attention, and a focus on life-threatening side effects of 50 common drug classes. FEATURES • More than 5,000 generic and trade-name drugs are profiled • Appendix of recent FDA-approvals • Icons for High Alert and Rarely Used medications • Highlighted Black Box Warnings, safety alerts, and life-threatening side effects • Helpful IV therapy updates • Create custom notes and highlights within entries • 150+ abbreviations listed for practical understanding • Unlabeled uses and help with easily confused drug names • Full Text Search helps find medications quickly • “Favorites” for bookmarking important entries FREE 14-DAY TRIAL: WHAT TO EXPECT • First-time users can access Unbound's complete Mosby's Drug Reference mobile app free for 14 days • After 14 days, your iTunes account will be charged $45.99 for a one-year subscription unless you have turned off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the free trial ends. • To manage your subscriptions, open Apple's “Settings” app and tap on the “iTunes & App Store" entry. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen and login. Tap subscriptions, then tap the subscription you wish to manage. •NOTE: If you choose not to purchase a subscription, content will no longer be viewable after the free trial period. iTunes automatic renewal: Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off 24 hours prior to the conclusion of your current period. Auto Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Your iTunes account will automatically be charged the current renewal rate ($45.99) within 24 hours prior to the end of the subscription period. If you choose not to renew, you will be able to use the app, however will not receive updates. Authors: Linda Skidmore-Roth, RN, MSN, NP Publisher: Elsevier Powered by: Unbound Medicine Unbound Privacy Policy: www.unboundmedicine.com/privacy Unbound Terms of Use: https://www.unboundmedicine.com/end_user_license_agreement

About

Medicine Dictionary

Access comprehensive information on over 4,000 prescription and over-the-counter medications. This drug dictionary provides details on generic and brand names, side effects, interactions, and more, trusted by healthcare professionals.

Highlights
  • 4,000+ prescription and OTC medications
  • Detailed drug entries
  • Unlimited bookmarks
  • Voice search
  • Advanced search options
  • Share definitions
Features
Read full description

Medicine Dictionary and Drug Guide by Farlex gives you free, instant access to in-depth information on 4,000+ prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications in a comprehensive drug dictionary trusted by doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals. Includes clear, detailed entries covering: Generic and brand names Side effects Interactions Drug class Administration Treatment methods Contraindications Off-label uses Chemical makeup Patient monitoring + much more… FEATURES: * Search 4,000+ prescription and over-the-counter medications in a comprehensive drug guide you won't find anywhere else. * Save unlimited bookmarks and quickly view the terms you need to access fast. * Use native voice search to look up a word just by saying it. (With supported devices) * See search suggestions as you type and always find what you're looking for. * View your recent searches. * Perform advanced searches, including "Starts with," "Ends with," "Contains," and "Wildcard." * Adjust font size. * Share definitions via social networks, email, and text. (With supported devices) User-friendly, comprehensive, and authoritative: Medicine Dictionary and Drug Guide by Farlex is the perfect free drug guide for doctors, nurses, and healthcare consumers. This is NOT a preview or a trial version, and there is no "locked" content. Open the app on your iPhone or iPad and immediately access all content — no subscriptions required! How do we do it? TheFreeDictionary.com - Farlex apps have been downloaded tens of millions times across multiple platforms, with top ratings after hundreds of thousands of reviews. We work with the best publishers to bring together trusted content in the most comprehensive, authoritative dictionary apps on the market. Our flagship app is The Free Dictionary (TFD), powered by TheFreeDictionary.com. Find our other apps by searching "Dictionary by Farlex" in the App Store.

Screenshots

Mosby's Drug Reference4 screens
Medicine Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

Mosby's Drug Reference and Medicine Dictionary both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of Medicine Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 32% of Mosby's Drug Reference's. Medicine Dictionary also leads on ratings volume (988 vs 235). Mosby's Drug Reference's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Mosby's Drug Reference sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $45.99 per year and Medicine Dictionary sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mosby's Drug Reference against 4.7 for Medicine Dictionary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 235 and 988 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Mosby's Drug Reference's written reviews are positive against 84% of Medicine Dictionary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, Medicine Dictionary every 15 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Mosby's Drug Reference versus Medicine Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMosby's Drug ReferenceMedicine Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (235 ratings)4.7 (988 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.8% of reviews84.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings235988 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB6 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Farlex, Inc.

Customer experience

Mosby's Drug Reference

All ratings235 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive31.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative59.1%

Medicine Dictionary

All ratings977 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative10.5%

User reviews

Mosby's Drug Reference

From 235 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great reference for nursing students
  • 👍 Reliable resource for medication information
  • 👍 Invaluable for looking up drugs quickly
  • 👍 Helpful for answering patient questions
  • 👍 Easy and best to use mobile drug reference

Room to improve

  • 😞 Routinely does not have drugs
  • 😞 Not for Canadian market
  • 😞 Not categorized and searchable
  • 😞 Cannot customize info display
  • 😞 Most patients' meds weren't there

Medicine Dictionary

From 988 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to navigate and use
  • 📚 Comprehensive drug information
  • 🔍 Detailed definitions and dosages
  • 🧠 Helpful for students and professionals
  • 🤖 Accurate and reliable data

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Missing information for some medications
  • 🤔 Terminology may be too technical for some users
  • 🔍 Limited coverage of certain drug categories

Bugs and requests

Mosby's Drug Reference

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Every time I search norco or hydrocodone hydrochlorothiazide comes up

Requested features

3 requests
  • Version for people in the dental field
  • Create an app version for dental drug reference
  • Separate favorites list for users and spouses

Medicine Dictionary

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incorrect drug categorization for some medications
  • Outdated information for certain drugs

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add images of pill capsules and tablets
  • Improve search functionality to find more medications
  • Expand coverage to include more niche or lesser-known drugs

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mosby's Drug Reference

Subscriptions1
  • Mosby's Drug Reference14 Days trial$45.991 Year
1 purchases

Medicine Dictionary

One-time1
  • Ad-free upgrade$4.99

Questions

Is Mosby's Drug Reference free?
Mosby's Drug Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Medicine Dictionary free?
Medicine Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mosby's Drug Reference or Medicine Dictionary?
Medicine Dictionary is rated higher. Mosby's Drug Reference averages 4.6 out of 5 from 235 ratings, while Medicine Dictionary averages 4.7 from 988 ratings.
Do Mosby's Drug Reference or Medicine Dictionary have ads?
Medicine Dictionary shows ads; Mosby's Drug Reference does not.
Which is updated more often, Mosby's Drug Reference or Medicine Dictionary?
Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, and Medicine Dictionary every 15 months. Most recently, Mosby's Drug Reference was updated on October 24, 2026 and Medicine Dictionary on October 24, 2026.

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