How Drugs Work Basic Pharmacology for Health Professionals, Fourth Edition

This fourth edition of How Drugs Work equips readers with a set of clear concepts for matching the pharmacology to the diagnosis, and has been completely revised and updated to reflect the latest knowledge and terminology. Rather than providing overwhelmingly comprehensive information, it condenses the aspects of pharmacology directly relevant to everyday practice into a concise, accessible volume, including material on the half life of drugs, patient non-compliance and severe chronic inflammation.

Getting a Drug into the Body: AbsorptionGetting a Drug to its Site of Action: DistributionInactivating Drugs: Phase 1 Drug MetabolismPhase 2 Drug Metabolism and Methods of ExcretionDrug’s Half-LifeReceptor Function and Intercellular SignallingThe Central Role of Receptors in Drug ActionDrugs that Block Enzymes: Understanding NSAID Therapy in InflammationThe Principal Targets for Drug ActionCalcium Ion for the PrescriberDrugs and the Central Nervous SystemIntroduction to Drugs in the Central Nervous SystemDrugs whose Action is (a) Understood, (b) Unknown/SpeculativeThe Actions of Drugs Used to Treat Anxiety, Insomnia and Life-Threatening Status EpilepticusDrugs Used to Treat ParkinsonismPain AnalgesicsHow Anti-Emetic Drugs WorkAntipsychotic DrugsAntidepressant DrugsAnti-Epileptic DrugsDrugs of Abuse: Hallucinogens and CNS StimulantsAlzheimer’s DiseaseDrug Topics of Special ImportanceSevere Chronic InflammationThe Scientific Basis of Prescribing for the ElderlyAntibacterial Action and Bacterial ResistanceHow to Prevent Adverse Drug Interactions – ADIs