Background Nowadays it is essential to incorporate the new information and communications technologies in the working of a Drug Information Centre at a Hospital Pharmacy Service (CIMSF in Spanish). Web 2.0 has several free tools that can be useful to a CIMSF.

Purpose To report the experience gained in developing a Web 2.0 CIMSF using free Web 2.0 tools, since the implementation of the project three years ago, until the present time.

Materials and methods A multidisciplinary team was formed in order to select, identify and design the more useful web 2.0 tools for the CIMSF. Web 2.0 software was classified into four categories: (i) communication and storage; (ii) collaboration, (iii) multimedia/content and (iv) others. The most interesting structural areas in drug information were: (i) reception, (ii) communication, (iii) storage and (iv) classification. The team selected the more useful Web 2.0 tools for the structural areas of the CIMSF, and drew up plans for implementing them. Finally, the team evaluated the experience using hit counters, social metrics and visibility.

Results A virtual CIMSF was developed, implemented and evaluated over three years (2010–2013). Firstly several storage tools were implemented: Netvibes and Slideshare (2010), and for communication and reception Twitter was used (2011). In the second phase, a Word Press blog posting pharmacotherapeutic consultations (2012) was implemented. Finally a Google site (2013) was used, now a Website for information to ambulatory patients. So far, the Netvibes counter has recorded 5200 hits, the Twitter account has 1500 followers and the blog has 4500 hits. Our Slideshare has over 50 presentations.

Conclusions Web 2.0 can be very useful for developing a Virtual CIMSF. The application in pharmacy of these free tools can be very interesting at present, when resources are truly limited.

No conflict of interest.