Author Description

Introduction to Clinical Pharmacology presents basic, essential pharmacology in a consistent, readable format appropriate for LPN/LVN students. Drugs are grouped by therapeutic class within body systems chapters to help students make comparisons of related medications. Specific drug information is listed in drug reference tables with new drugs added to the fourth edition for currency. Each chapter begins with objectives, key terms, and a chapter overview, and ends with a chapter summary and critical thinking questions that directly apply chapter content to clinical practice. New to the fourth edition, Case Studies are being added and Clinical Decisions are being renamed and boxed with accompanying icons and categorized as Clinical Landmines (alerts), Clinical Goldmines (knowledge), Memory Joggers (key points), and Nuggets of Clinical Wisdom (critical thinking). Chapter 3 (General Pharmacologic Principles) has been expanded to include alcohol, drug, and food/drug interactions. Chapter 4 (Medication Administration: Lifespan and Cultural Modifications) has special sections on drug absorption, adverse drug reactions in children, updated considerations in the geriatric patient, women's health issues, genetics, and spirituality and religion. Nine illustrations have been revised to reflect cultural diversity. A list of the Top 200 Drugs, those most often prescribed in the U.S., is on the inside front cover with the drug category each drug is in and page number references. Because LPN/LVN students and faculty are using computers and the Internet more each year, the author is identifying several stable online resources per unit or drug group. The online resources are also included in the Instructor's Electronic Resource. A complete, open and readable redesign focuses on giving the book a fresh look since the design had been unchanged for three editions. Drugs are grouped by therapeutic class within body systems chapters to help make compar