Table of Contents

SECTION I: PHARMACOLOGY WITHIN THE SOCIAL CONTEXT 1. A historical perspective 2. Sociocultural aspects SECTION II: PHARMACOLOGY WITHIN THE PROFESIONAL CONTEXT 3. Health professionals and the law 4. Ethical issues 5. The roles and responsibilities of health professionals in medicine adherence, education and advocacy 6. The roles and responsibilities of health professionals in medicine management SECTION III: MEDICINE ADMINISTRATION AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 7. Medicine formulations, storage and routes of administration 8. The clinical decision-making process 9. Medicine administration strategies and documentation 10. Medication errors 11. Management of common adverse drug reactions 12. Risk communication: balancing the benefits and risks of drug treatment SECTION IV: GENERAL ASPECTS OF PHARMACOLOGY 13. Drug nomenclature 14. Pharmacokinetics: absorption and distribution 15. Pharmacokinetics: metabolism and excretion 16. Drug interactions 17. Pharmacodynamics 18. Drug development, evaluation and safety 19. Pharmacogenetics 20. Pharmacokinetic factors that modify drug action 21. Paediatric and geriatric pharmacology SECTION V: TO XICOLOGY 22. Poisoning and envenomation 23. The management of acute clinical overdose 24. Contemporary drugs of abuse 25. Drug abuse in sport SECTION VI: AUTONOMIC PHARMACOLOGY 26. General aspects of neuropharmacology 27. Adrenergic pharmacology 28. Cholinergic pharmacology SECTION VII: CHEMICAL MEDIATORS 29. An introduction to chemical mediators 30. Histamine and antihistamines 31. Prostaglandins and serotonin 32. Nitric oxide and the endothelins SECTION VIII: THE MODULAT ION OF BEHAVIOUR, COGNITION AND MOTOR ACTIVITY 33. General concepts of psychopharmacology 34. Antipsychotic agents 35. Anxiolytics and hypnotics 36. Antidepressants and mood stabilisers 37. Medicines used in neurodegenerative disorders 38. Antiseizure agents and muscle relaxants 39. Central nervous system stimulants SECTION IX: MEDICINES USED TO RELIEVE PAIN AND PRODUCE ANAESTHESIA 40. Narcotic analgesics 41. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic agents 42. Medicines used to treat migraine 43. General anaesthesia 44. Local anaesthesia SECTION X: THE MODULAT ION OF OXYGENAT ION AND PERFUSION 45. Medicines used to lower blood lipids 46. Antihypertensive agents 47. Medicines used to promote tissue perfusion 48. Antithrombotic, fibrinolytic and haemostatic agents 49. Diuretics and other renal medicines 50. Medicines used to treat heart failure 51. Medicines used to treat cardiac dysrhythmia 52. Fluid and potassium imbalances 53. Antianaemic agents 54. Medicines used to maintain gas exchange 55. Medicines for upper respiratory tract conditions SECTION XI: THE MODULATION OF GASTROINTESTINAL FUNCTION 56. Upper gastrointestinal tract drugs 57. Lower gastrointestinal tract drugs 58. Antiemetic agents SECTION XII: THE MODULATION OF BODY GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND METABOLISM 59. Medicines and the pituitary gland 60. Medicines and the thyroid 61. Medicines and the pancreas 62. Medicines and the adrenal cortex 63. Medicines and the gonads 64. Medicines and bone metabolism 65. Hyperuricaemia and gout 66. Obesity and its treatment SECTION XIII: NUTRITIONAL AND NATURAL THERAPIES 67. Vitamins, minerals and amino acids 68. Enteral and parenteral nutrition 69. Herbal medicines SECTION XIV: THE MODULATION OF CELULLAR GROWTH AND PROLIFERATION 70. Introduction to chemotherapy 71. Sulphonamides and trimethoprim 72. Antibacterial agents 73. Antituberculotics and antileprotic agents 74. Antiseptics and disinfectants 75. Antiparasitic agents 76. Antimalarial agents 77. Antiviral agents 78. Antifungal agents 79. Immunomodulating agents 80. Cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents 81. Gene therapies SECTION XV: MEDICINES USED TOPICALLY 82. Medicines used in diseases of the skin 83. Medicines and the eye Appendix A. Common prescription terminology B. Common American generic drug names C. SI units D. Drug calculations E. Common symbols used in medication charts F. Common word mix-ups G. Drug-herbal interactions H. Orphan drugs