How drugs work

Getting a drug into the body: absorption; Getting a drug to its site of action: distribution; Inactivating drugs: phase 1 drugs metabolism; Phase 2 drugs metabolism and methods of excretion; The concept of a drugs half-life (t1/2): an estimate of the rate of elimination of different drugs; 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; Introduction to drugs in the central nervous system; CNS drugs whose action is understood, unknown/speculative; The actions of CNS drugs used to treat anxiety, insomnia and life-threatening status epilepticus; Drugs used to treat Parkinsonism; Pain and analgesics; How antiemetic drugs work; Antipsychotic drugs; Antidepressant drugs; Anti-epileptic drugs; Drugs of abuse: halucinogens and CNS stimulants; Alzheimers disease; How the many antidiabeetic drugs work; Treating severe chronic inflammation; The scientific basis of prescribing for the elderly; Antibacterial action and bacterial resistance; How to prevent adverse drug interactions - ADIs; How to prevent and avoid adverse drug reactions to single drugs - ADRs; Why consider a practice formulary?; Getting new drugs to market: licensing medicines for human use; The problem of patients' non-compliance with their medication - 'non-concordance'; Conclusion; Prescribing safely : a checklist for every prescription

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.