The Evidence-Based Platform for Checking Medications
We verify medications against real scientific studies from PubMed and Cochrane Library. No marketing — only evidence-based facts.
Or photograph your medicine cabinet →Compare two medications
Enter two drug names and compare their evidence ratings side by side. See the difference in mechanism, best use, and key risks — all at a glance.
European analogs
Find brand names of the same active ingredient across 22 European countries — including prescription status in each country.
Drug interactions
Add two or more medications and check for known dangerous interactions between them — with an explanation and risk level for each pair.
Treatment by diagnosis
Enter a diagnosis and see which drug classes have real, evidence-based support for treating it — not a specific brand recommendation.
Take a photo. Check what you're taking.
One photo of your medicine cabinet — and you'll instantly know which medications are backed by real evidence, and which aren't.
Photograph your cabinet →
What is evidence-based medicine?
Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) is an approach where medical decisions are based on the best available scientific evidence — not on traditions, marketing, or a manufacturer's authority. Not all medications are equally effective. Some are supported by thousands of high-quality studies, while others rely mostly on marketing claims. Our goal is to help you understand the difference.
How does it work?
Enter the name
Brand name or international nonproprietary name (INN) of the medication
We analyze the research
We search PubMed and Cochrane Library for real clinical trials and systematic reviews
Get the result
Receive an evidence rating (A/B/C/D) and a plain-language summary with links to the original sources
How is the rating calculated?
The evidence rating is based on the quantity, quality, and consistency of scientific research available for a medication.
High level of evidence
Multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses confirm effectiveness.
Moderate level of evidence
There are quality studies available, but the amount of evidence or consistency of results is limited.
Low level of evidence
Studies exist, but they have methodological limitations or conflicting results.
Insufficient evidence
Scientific evidence is lacking or does not support the claimed effectiveness.
Evidence Files
Recently published
Zinc for Colds: Why Most Lozenges on the Shelf Are the Wrong Dose
In 2024, Cochrane pooled 34 trials and 8,526 participants and delivered a shrug: zinc doesn't prevent colds, and its effect on duration is real but modest. What that headline number hides is a decade-old finding that most zinc products on pharmacy shelves were never dosed to work in the first place — and a live methodological fight over whether Cochrane's own math undersold the drug that does.
Vitamin C for Colds: The Nobel Laureate's Claim That Never Held Up
In 1970, a two-time Nobel laureate published a bestseller claiming megadoses of vitamin C could prevent the common cold. Fifty-plus years and thousands of trial participants later, the largest pooled analysis — nearly 10,000 cold episodes — found that regular vitamin C doesn't prevent colds in the general population at all. It does something narrower, and most people are taking it at the wrong time to get even that.
Homeopathy: How a €1.5 Billion European Industry Sells Diluted Water as Medicine
In Germany, homeopathic remedies are sold in every pharmacy. France reimbursed them through its national health system until 2021. The Swiss constitution mentions homeopathy alongside conventional medicine. And every major systematic review of the evidence reaches the same conclusion: it doesn't work.
Important to know
Disclaimer
Trick or Treatment is an informational platform. We do not provide medical consultations and do not replace the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
The information presented should not be used for self-medication, or for changing or discontinuing a prescribed treatment without first consulting a doctor.
Our ratings are based on publicly available scientific evidence at the time of the search. They may change as new research becomes available. We do not evaluate the safety of medications, only the quantity and quality of evidence of their effectiveness.
Results are cached for up to 30 days. The grade may differ from future searches if new studies are published in the interim.