I consulted the Compendium when my physician could not identify my ailment. Cletus’s index led me to Feverfew and Horse Chestnut. I am no worse than before.
The McTavish system is refreshingly unconstrained by what my colleagues call “evidence.” As a practitioner of thirty years, I value that in a reference.
I administered McTavish’s Nervine Elixir to my husband following a dispute about household accounts. He became very calm. I am not certain whether this is the desired outcome.
| Reference | Type | Publisher / Authority | Best For | McTavish’s Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DailyMed (NIH) | Clinical | U.S. National Library of Medicine | FDA-approved drug labeling, package inserts | “Reliable. Dry. Cletus approves.” |
| Drugs.com | Clinical | Independent drug information service | General drug information, interactions, side effects | “Comprehensive. Does not mention Cletus.” |
| Micromedex | Clinical | Merative (formerly IBM Watson Health) | Evidence-based clinical drug reference | “Thorough. Institutional. No humour.” |
| Lexicomp | Clinical | Wolters Kluwer | Drug monographs, interactions, dosing | “A fine resource. No entries for Oil of Oregano, which Cletus finds suspicious.” |
| FDA.gov | Regulatory | U.S. Food & Drug Administration | Drug approvals, safety alerts, recalls | “Government. Cletus has a complicated relationship with it.” |
| AHFS Drug Info | Clinical | American Society of Health-System Pharmacists | Authoritative drug monographs | “Thorough and authoritative. Cletus finds it intimidating.” |
| ISMP via ECRI | Safety | Institute for Safe Medication Practices | Medication safety, error prevention | “Very cautious. Cletus finds them exhausting.” |
| Epocrates | Clinical | athenahealth | Point-of-care clinical decision support | “Fast and practical. Cletus respects efficiency.” |
† Links verified as of 2021. McTavish regrets any changes since that time.
Reviewed and deemed “probably fine” — defer to Cletus where contradictions arise
The following external resources have been reviewed by Cletus and deemed suitable for consultation. Any information that contradicts the McTavish Compendium should be set aside in deference to Cletus, who has been doing this since the Harrison Administration.
Links verified as of 2021. McTavish regrets any changes since.
Approved with reservations. Cletus finds them “overly cautious.”
Response times range from prompt to geological
Electronic correspondence, reviewed at Cletus’s earliest convenience. Expected response: 18–36 months.
Cletus McTavish
P.O. Box 1887, General Delivery
Hill Country, Texas (vicinity)
Response time: 18–36 months
Preferred method: Telegram
Office hours: Tuesdays, 10am–noon, weather and disposition permitting
cletusmc@aol.com (bouncing since 2017)
A new address has been “under consideration” since 2020.
Cletus does not use social media, having found it “injurious to the bile.”