Practitioner's Quick Reference to Nonprescription Drugs, 2nd Edition

ISBN: 9781582121666
ISBN-10: 1582121664
Copyright: 2012
Edition: 2nd
Editor: Dlugosz, Cynthia Knapp
Doody's Expert Review    Score: 80
Reviewer: Neela Bhajandas,  PharmD, BCCCP  (Temple University School of Pharmacy)
Description
This concise supplement to the Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs: An Interactive Approach to Self-Care, 17th edition, Krinsky et al. (American Pharmacists Association, 2012), serves as a quick reference guide for medical and pharmacy students as well as practitioners.
Purpose
The purpose is to provide a source of information that would most likely be needed during self-care consultations with patients.
Audience
Although this book is designed for busy practitioners, students will also benefit from it during their advanced clinical rotations where quick answers to commonly encountered self-care questions are often needed.
Features
Chapters focus on such typical self-care topics as the common cold, allergic rhinitis, musculoskeletal pain, dermatitis, and heartburn. Each chapter begins with an algorithm discussing patient specific treatment options, exclusions for self-treatment, and when to refer patients to the appropriate healthcare provider. Chapters also include sections on epidemiology, signs and symptoms of common ailments, and their complications. Each chapter provides pharmacological, nonpharmacological, and complementary treatment options. The book also includes sections pertaining to special populations such as pregnancy/lactation and pediatrics. Clinical pearls and general drug interactions are provided as well as an appendix on administration guidelines for nasal and ophthalmic dosage formulations. References for the information in this book may be found in the Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs.
Assessment
Although the information this book provides is designed for busy practitioners, it is most effective when used in conjunction with the main book. Answers to commonly encountered self-care questions are provided systematically, and both students and practitioners will find this book helpful when easily retrievable information is needed.
Review Questionnaire
Range Question Score
1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 8
1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 6
1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5
1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4
1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4
1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5
1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? N/A
1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. N/A
1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. N/A
1-5 Are there sufficient references? N/A
1-5 Rate the currency of the references. N/A
1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. N/A
1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 4
1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book N/A
1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 8
1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? 8