Clinical Pharmacology for Prescribing

Clinical Pharmacology for Prescribing explains how drugs work and why they should be prescribed for common medical conditions. Linking disease processes to pharmacological interventions, this guide gives a sound basis for evidence based prescribing. Written for medical students, trainee doctors and non-medical prescribers, it addresses all aspects of practical pharmacology, explaining drug classes, their mechanisms and effects on the body. Ultimately its focus is on clinical use, so that safe prescribing decisions are based on sound understanding of science - why and how drugs work to treat common conditions. Every chapter provides clear linkages between pathophysiology of disease and drug mechanisms, highlighted in original illustrations that bring together drug mechanisms, pathways and their place in medical management. Unwanted effects, drug interactions and prescribing warnings are emphasised to help the reader become aware of critical issues in prescribing. This resource also addresses how to prescribe for vulnerable patient groups and provokes deep understanding for patient safety. Written by a Practicing Pharmaceutical Physician with a D.Phil in Pharmacology, an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and a Senior hospital-based Clinical Pharmacist. The textbook has been extensively reviewed by practicing clinicians such that this new resource exemplifies the skills and knowledge needed for practical, legal and safe clinical prescribing.

Stevan R. Emmett is Principal Medical Officer at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratories (Dstl) where he works as a Consultant in Pharmaceutical Medicine. His expertise lies in translational medicine, drug development and the application of basic pharmacology and toxicology to clinical conditions. Stevan initially undertook an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, subsequently undertaking a D.Phil in Pharmacology at the University of Oxford before moving onto a postdoctoral position and Project Leadership in a biotechnology company. Stevan completed Medicine at the University of Warwick, training in the East and West Midlands as a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and he continues to practice clinically, alongside his Dstl role, as Senior Clinical Fellow in Emergency Medicine at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust. Nicola Hill qualified as a pharmacist from Cardiff University in 1998 and after completing a Pre-Registration year in Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, started her first job as a resident pharmacist at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. Three years later following a gap year travelling she took on the role of paediatric pharmacist at UCH, London before specialising in paediatric oncology, completing an MSc and various research projects in the field. In 2010 she relocated with her family to the South Coast and took up a lead role, managing clinical pharmacy staff across specialities including Women's and Children's, Head and Neck, Musculoskeletal, Surgery, ITU and theatres. More recently she has undertaken a PGC in Prescribing and Therapeutics at Portsmouth University to qualify as a prescribing pharmacist. Federico Dajas-Bailador is a pharmacologist and neuroscientist with expertise in the mechanisms that control neuron development and connectivity. After obtaining his BSc at the Universidad de la Republica, in Uruguay, Federico moved to the UK to undertake his PhD at the University of Bath and then to a postdoctoral position at the Univers