Comparison

Mosby's Drug Reference vs Mosby's Pocket 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

Mosby's Pocket Dictionary

This medical dictionary app provides over 33,000 definitions for diseases, procedures, and drugs, with a strong focus on nursing and health science terminology. It offers pronunciations, etymologies, and quick access through alphabetized thumb tabs. An in-app purchase unlocks all content.

Highlights
  • Over 33,000 medical definitions
  • Focus on nursing and health science
  • Pronunciations and etymologies
  • Intuitive A-to-Z organization
  • Alphabetized thumb tabs
  • Spanish/English appendix
  • Updated terminology
Features
Read full description

"Try before you buy" - Download the FREE App, which includes sample content. In-App purchase required to unlock all content. Comprehensive, portable dictionary offers a unique, strong focus on nursing and health science terminology. Featuring over 33,000 authoritative definitions of diseases, procedures, equipment, drugs, and more... What does that term mean? How is it even pronounced? Make sense of the complex world of health care with Mosby's® Pocket Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions. This comprehensive, portable dictionary offers a unique, strong focus on nursing and health science terminology. Featuring over 33,000 authoritative definitions of diseases, procedures, equipment, drugs, and more, it ensures you have the most reliable health science information right at your fingertips in an intuitive A-to-Z format — no struggling to find sub-definitions! Word roots and pronunciations help you learn and correctly use medical terminology, and alphabetized, screened thumb tabs make finding definitions quick and easy. Key Features - Over 33,000 definitions, focused on language in current use, ensure easy access to key information. - Practical, strict A-to-Z organization with no subentries makes it easier to find terms. - British spellings are included, where appropriate, for international users and for US users who need to be able to recognize alternate spellings of common terms. - Marie O’Toole, an experienced dictionary lexicographer and nursing educator, has reviewed and revised all definitions to provide a cohesive and consistent voice. - Small size makes this dictionary portable and convenient. - Terms emphasize nursing and health science terminology, making this a useful resource for students and practitioners. - Etymologies for most entries help you understand medical terminology and build a professional vocabulary. - Pronunciations for key entries boost your confidence when using terminology in everyday practice. - Screened thumb tabs allow you to quickly locate entries. - A Spanish/English appendix and commonly used abbreviations are easy to access. New to This Edition NEW! Approximately 1,700 updated or new terms reflect the changing terminology used in medicine, nursing, and the health professions. Content licensed from printed edition ISBN 10: 0323832911 Content licensed from printed edition ISBN 13: 978-0323832915 SUBSCRIPTION : Please purchase a yearly auto-renewing subscription to receive content access and available updates. Yearly auto-renewing payments- $39.99 Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Subscription may be managed by the user and auto-renewal can be disabled at any time by going to your device “Settings” and tapping “iTunes & App Store”. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. If you have any questions or comments, email us any time: customersupport@skyscape.com or call 508-299-3000 Privacy Policy - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/privacypolicy.aspx Terms and Conditions - https://www.skyscape.com/terms-of-service/licenseagreement.aspx Editor(s): Lynn Fitzgerald Macksey Publisher: Mosby | Elsevier, Inc.

Screenshots

Mosby's Drug Reference4 screens
Mosby's Pocket Dictionary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Mosby's Drug Reference at none against Mosby's Pocket Dictionary's shown. Mosby's Drug Reference also leads on ratings volume (234 vs 4). Mosby's Pocket Dictionary's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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 Mosby's Pocket Dictionary sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. 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 4.5 for Mosby's Pocket Dictionary. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mosby's Drug Reference has 234 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, Mosby's Pocket Dictionary every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Mosby's Drug Reference versus Mosby's Pocket Dictionary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMosby's Drug ReferenceMosby's Pocket Dictionary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (234 ratings) — better4.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews31.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings234 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB46 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperUnbound Medicine, Inc.Skyscape Medpresso 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%

Mosby's Pocket Dictionary

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Mosby's Pocket Dictionary

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Mosby's Drug Reference

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

Mosby's Pocket Dictionary

Subscriptions4
  • 25% Off for Limited Period$29.991 Year
  • 20% Off for Limited Period$31.991 Year
  • 15% off for Limited Period$33.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Mosby's Pkt Dictionary 1Y Sub$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Mosby's Pocket Dictionary$39.99

Questions

Is Mosby's Drug Reference free?
Mosby's Drug Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mosby's Pocket Dictionary free?
Mosby's Pocket Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mosby's Drug Reference or Mosby's Pocket Dictionary?
Mosby's Drug Reference is rated higher. Mosby's Drug Reference averages 4.6 out of 5 from 234 ratings, while Mosby's Pocket Dictionary averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.
Do Mosby's Drug Reference or Mosby's Pocket Dictionary have ads?
Mosby's Pocket Dictionary shows ads; Mosby's Drug Reference does not.
Which is updated more often, Mosby's Drug Reference or Mosby's Pocket Dictionary?
Mosby's Drug Reference ships an update every 9 months, and Mosby's Pocket Dictionary every 7 months. Most recently, Mosby's Drug Reference was updated on October 21, 2026 and Mosby's Pocket Dictionary on October 7, 2026.

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