4th Edition

How Drugs Work Basic Pharmacology for Health Professionals, Fourth Edition

By Hugh McGavock Copyright 2016
    214 Pages
    by CRC Press

    214 Pages
    by CRC Press

    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: Absorption

    Getting a Drug to its Site of Action: Distribution

    Inactivating Drugs: Phase 1 Drug Metabolism

    Phase 2 Drug Metabolism and Methods of Excretion

    Drug’s Half-Life

    Receptor Function and Intercellular Signalling

    The Central Role of Receptors in Drug Action

    Drugs that Block Enzymes: Understanding NSAID Therapy in Inflammation

    The Principal Targets for Drug Action

    Calcium Ion for the Prescriber

    Drugs and the Central Nervous System

    Introduction to Drugs in the Central Nervous System

    Drugs whose Action is (a) Understood, (b) Unknown/Speculative

    The Actions of Drugs Used to Treat Anxiety, Insomnia and Life-Threatening Status Epilepticus

    Drugs Used to Treat Parkinsonism

    Pain Analgesics

    How Anti-Emetic Drugs Work

    Antipsychotic Drugs

    Antidepressant Drugs

    Anti-Epileptic Drugs

    Drugs of Abuse: Hallucinogens and CNS Stimulants

    Alzheimer’s Disease

    Drug Topics of Special Importance

    Severe Chronic Inflammation

    The Scientific Basis of Prescribing for the Elderly

    Antibacterial Action and Bacterial Resistance

    How to Prevent Adverse Drug Interactions – ADIs

    Biography

    Hugh McGavock