The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #68931

George Hazard, PhD, Florence Chang, MS, Vera Hudson, MS, Phillip Thomas, PhD, and Stacey J. Arnesen, MS. Specialized Information Services, National Library of Medicine, 6707 Democracy Blvd., Suite 510, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301-496-3999, mike_hazard@nlm.nih.gov

The Household Products database is a new electronic resource available from the National Library of Medicine. This unique database links health effects to specific brand name consumer products through their chemical ingredients. The content includes product brand names, chemical ingredients, health and safety warnings from the manufacturers’ Material Safety Data Sheets and product labels. The types of products include are those used for arts and crafts, automotive maintenance, personal care, lawn and garden care, and home maintenance. The information has been collected from publicly available sources such as product labels and manufacturers’ web sites. This database also directs users to additional information in the other toxicology and environmental health databases maintained by NLM. These databases contain health effect and exposure data for specific chemicals. The Household Products database contains other useful information on the products such as manufacturers’ address and contact information and handling and disposal information provided by them. The interface to this database enables users to browse or search the content by brand, product name, chemical ingredient, or health effects. This presentation will introduce users to a database where health professionals and the public can find information that may be relevant to daily activities.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the content of the Household Products Database
• List ways this database can be used in a professional or personal setting
• Perform a basic search of the database

Keywords: Health Information Systems, Consumer Protection

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.