Pharmacotherapeutics for Nurse Practitioner Prescribers » (2nd Edition)

Michael Millard, BS Pharm, MS Pharm Adm, Instructor, School of Nursing, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Teri Moser Woo, RN, MS, CPNP, Assistant Professor, Family Nursing, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Anita Lee Wynne, CRNP, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Portland, Portland, Oregon

This reference comprises a thorough, current and usable pharmacology text to help the nurse practitioner address the challenge of acquiring and maintaining knowledge in the face of the number of new drugs coming on the market each year. Wynne (nursing, U. of Portland), Teri Moser Woo (Oregon Health Sciences U.) and Michael Millard (pharmacy, Sacred Heart Medical Center) present 49 contributions that cover the foundation material, pharmacotherapeutics with single and multiple drugs, and special drug treatment considerations.

Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Candis Morrison, PhD, CRNP (Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing)
Description: This pharmacotherapeutics book presents content in both narrative and tabular format and organizes it into four units, including foundation, pharmacotherapeutics with single drugs, pharmacotherapeutics with multiple drugs, and special drug treatment considerations.
Purpose: The stated purpose is to provide the reader with the current pharmacologic information required to practice. Though there are numerous reference books available, there are few that include nurse practitioner specific role issues and effectively put prescribing in perspective.
Audience: The target audiences are the primary care nurse practitioner student and the nurse practitioner practicing in the primary care setting. Much of the material is also useful to other groups of advanced practice nurses, especially clinical specialists.
Features: Unit one provides specifics about nurse practitioner prescribing, i.e. collaboration with other disciplines. There are issues unique to advanced practice nurses that are not covered in other pharmacology texts or resource books. The brief synopsis of the efforts to gain the privilege, and a discussion regarding the responsibilities that accompany it, are included. A user-friendly review of pharmacodynamics and kinetics is presented. This is especially helpful for those who are several years removed from their basic pharmacology course. Principles of rational drug selection and the legal and professional issues unique to advanced practice nurses are well covered. Ethnic and cultural differences and patient variables that can affect health outcomes are presented as are use of the Internet and other technologies. Categories of over the counter preparations as well as common herbal preparations are presented. Units 2 and 3 actually present the information on the specific prescription pharmacologic agents; the former organized by body system, and the latter by symptom or specific disease. Each agent is organized into information on pharmacodynamics, kinetics, and therapeutics. In addition, agents in each category are presented in tabular format to facilitate comparisons. Unit 4 goes into depth on specific populations, including women, children, elders and the chronically ill.
Assessment: This book provides the nurse practitioner with drug specific information required to prescribe safely and effectively. It also provides role specific information to enhance professionalism in prescribing. The first and last units provide content that is not available in most pharmacology books. It is an excellent reference book.