Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs » (16th Edition)

The 14th edition features a new case assessment model for self-treatment and seven new chapters (on multicultural aspects, legal and regulatory issues, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, cough, intestinal gas, meal replacement and performance-enhancing foods, and nonbotanical natural medicines). Pharmacy students and professionals are the audience for the substantial tome, which provides guidelines on how to determine the individual's need, listing possible responses for various scenarios, and describing treatment in a step-by-step format. Tables listing drug-herb and drug-drug interactions are included in most chapters. FDA pregnancy risk categories are described in an appendix. Distributed by McGraw-Hill. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Elaine D Mackowiak, BSPharm, MS, PhD, RPh(Temple University School of Pharmacy)
Description:This update of the 2006 edition continues its excellent tradition as a thorough and comprehensive handbook on nonprescription products. The algorithms and case studies provide a structured method for students to use in evaluating a patient's self-care problem and recommending an appropriate pharmacological and/or nonpharmacological treatment plan.
Purpose:This book introduces students to methods for assessing a patient's health status, determining if self-care is appropriate, and developing an appropriate therapeutic plan for the patient.
Audience:Written for pharmacy students, the book is especially helpful in providing information to students who may have limited backgrounds in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology.
Features:The book discusses the role of nonprescription drugs and products in the self-care of illnesses. It discusses the differences among OTC drugs, dietary supplements, CAM therapies, and the regulatory control of these products. The chapters on CAM therapy are the biggest improvement in this edition. They provide a consistent format for discussion of the products' uses, safety, and efficacy, allowing for easy comparison of products and retrieval of information. The numerous tables, illustrations, and color plates enhance understanding. Advanced students and practicing pharmacists may find some of the general information about the medical conditions too repetitive.
Assessment:The consistent updating of the book is one of its strengths. It remains the most comprehensive publication, but also the most expensive. The publisher has just released a less expensive practitioner's version, Dlugosz's The Practitioner's Quick Reference to Nonprescription Drugs, that covers 25 common medical conditions. Nonprescription Product Therapeutics, 2nd edition, by Pray (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006), is a similar book, but it is now three years old. The Pocket Guide for Nonprescription Product Therapeutics, Finkel and Pray (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005) is now four years old and out of print.