APA (7th ed.) Citation Guide for Health Sciences

The following is suitable for drug information entries in online sources such as the CPS, UpToDate's drug interactions content and Lexi-Drug, if you accessed them via the relevant library database. 

• For any resources accessed via a mobile app, see the relevant boxes below.

Adapted from the APA blog posts: Drug Information; DOIs and URLs; and Database Information in References:
 

• The format for drug information is the same as for a webpage.
   
• Provide the name of the drug or pharmaceutical company that manufactures the drug in the author element of the reference.  
   
  • In the case of UpToDate drug interactions entries -  which have no named authors and relate to more than one drug - use UpToDate as the author element and then skip the publisher element to avoid duplication.
     
• If a date is not available, substitute “(n.d.).”
   
• Provide the title of the drug information (usually the name of the drug) in italic sentence case, followed by the description “[Drug information]” in square brackets (or other wording as appropriate).
   
• Provide the name of the publisher or website from which the drug information was obtained in the source element of the reference. If this name is the same as the author, omit the publisher/site name to avoid repetition.
   
• Provide a URL for the drug information - if the information is freely available without requiring a login and is clearly a permanent link. 
   
  • For resources such as the CPS which does not provide unique links for any of its content pages and/or if the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. See the APA blog post on including database information in references for more information.

The following pertains to the article content from UpToDate.  For information on formatting drug information see the Drug Information box above. 

From the APA blog post, UpToDate Article: 

• Articles in the UpToDate database are available only in that database and have information that changes over time.
   
• In the reference list, format UpToDate articles like periodical articles. Italicize the database name in the reference like a periodical title, but do not italicize the database name if it appears in the text.
   
• Use the year of last update in the date element.
   
• Include a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time and versions of the page are not archived.  

Also note: In the event your article doesn't have an identified author, such as in the patient education section, use UpToDate as the group author. 

Notes adapted from the APA blog entry: Mobile Apps

• For a mobile app reference work with individual authors (as shown in the example below), provide the author names in the author element of the reference.
   
• Provide the year of the version used in the date element of the reference.
   
• Provide the title of the app in italic sentence case.
   
• When the app includes an edition number (as with the example), place the edition information in parentheses without italics after the title and without a period between title and edition information.
   
• If provided - include the version number of the app (which you can obtain from the app itself once it is downloaded) in a separate set of parentheses - without a period between it and the previous element.
   
  • Skip this element if the app does not provide a version number
     
• Provide a description of the format: [Mobile app]
  
   
• Provide the publisher of the app or the name of the app store (e.g., App Store, Google Play Store) - depending on where you acquired the app.
   
  • If the app was downloaded from Nursing Central OR the publisher’s website, provide the name of the  publisher e.g., F. A. Davis Company, in the source element of the reference. If you downloaded the app directly from the Apple App Store or Google Play instead, use “App Store” instead of “F. A. Davis."
     
  • Do not reference the platform that hosts the content, e.g., Texidium/Nursing Central but do use the URL the host provides in the URL element.
     
• Provide a URL when possible - available from the web platform, e.g., Nursing Central.

Notes adapted from APA blog post: Entry in a mobile app reference work:
 

• To cite an entry in a mobile app reference work, follow the format for an edited book chapter.
   
• Provide the author of the app in the author element of the reference. In the example, the company that produces the app (e.g., Lexicomp) is treated as a group author.
   
• Provide the year of the app version that you used in the date element of the reference.
   
• Provide the title of the entry in the reference work in the title element of the reference.
   
• In the source element, provide the name of the app in italics (which in the example happens to be the same as the author), the version of the app used in parentheses, the description “[Mobile app]” and the publisher or app store from which the app was obtained.
   
• Do not reference the platform that hosts the content, e.g., Texidium/Nursing Central but do use the URL the host provides in the URL element.
   
• Provide a URL when possible.