George Collins, University College London

Although this is a comprehensive, wide-ranging and very academic textbook, it is actually quite small and concise for the content that it offers. Furthermore, even given that this book is a pharmacology textbook, it still retains the clinically important aspects of disease pathophysiology, which in combination with the use of sub-headings, diagrams, boxes and tables to display important pharmacological points, makes the text substantially more readable and intuitive than other equivalent texts. These comprise the “therapeutics” aspect of the textbook, which I feel separates this book from other similar texts. After the earlier chapters which cover the general principles of pharmacology, the later chapters are divided into systems which discuss not only the physiology of each system, but also the pathophysiology of the diseases, their pharmacology, unwanted treatment effects and specific management protocols. Therefore, it is vital that each chapter is up to date with the latest management guidelines, and the bibliographies and further reading at the end of each chapter emphasizes to me the professionalism and expertise with which this text was produced. However, remember that at its heart this book is for studying, and the MCQs at the end of each chapter are a fantastic revision tool that I have used myself. I’d recommend this book to anyone with a background of pre-clinical pharmacology who would like to delve a little deeper to understand some of the lists of disease treatments and drug side effects that we all read about, but understand little about!

Posted 9th Aug 2011

Alan J. Watson, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry

This book is by far the best pharmacology book I have read! It is easy to read, has great diagrams and (best of all) has drugs divided by the diseases they treat - this made learning the drugs so much easier! I find pharmacology quite a dyull (but nonetheless vital) topic and this book has made learning it a lot more interesting!

Posted 19th Apr 2010

Tara Berger, University of Newcastle

At last, a totally comprehensive pharmacology textbook! There is a huge amount of information packed into this book and it certainly isn't compact, but it does have absolutely everything you need to know. The first chapters contain a thorough overview of general pharmacological principles, and from there, the book is organised according to clinical topics, such as ischaemic heart disease and respiratory disorders. This makes it very intuitive to use. There is a substantial amount of clinical background; the pharmacology is all put into clinical context, which makes it seem much more relevant and much more memorable! High recommended.

Posted 14th Apr 2010

Latifa Patel, University of Liverpool

This is a big book! I award it with a Buyer Rating of 5/5 (Go buy it) but only for those who have a particularly keen interest in pharmacology or if your course requires detailed knowledge of the topic. I particularly like the way in which it takes a disease for example Ischaemic Heart Disease and covers it in plentiful detail; clinical manifestations, drug treatment, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and unwanted effects (for the different types of medications), management, prophylaxis. Each section is covered in great depth so it’s safe to say that you won’t need any other pharmacology text. Each section is conclude with a question and answer section and a glossary of all the drugs considered in the disease management. For some cases it also outlines the aetiology and pathogenesis complications of the disease itself. So you could revise your general medical knowledge at the same time! Good one. A downside to this book is that it is a bulky book – not recommended for carrying around. Not much attention has been given to the general prettiness of the pages either. Although it is coloured and the illustrations though few are simple and easy to follow there are large chunks of uninterrupted text. Take a look! Enjoy, Latifa (“,)

Posted 18th Mar 2010

Kayte McCann, University of East Anglia

I couldn't rate this book any higher. At last, a pharmacology book that splits the drugs into their use for diseases and disorders rather than drug class (which makes it really abstract to revise from). I loved the layout, the colours (I'm a very visual learner!) and the approach to pharmacology. I sincerely wish this book had been around when I did my BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, but fear not, it's here now. This book is amazing for PBL and revision of diseases and disorders because it gives you a simple explanation of the disease first and then the management options, as well as going on to suggest further reading and offer self-assessment questions. Simply a must for OSCEs, PBL, SAQ and EMQ style exam questions.

Posted 18th Mar 2010

Sarah Edwards, Peninsula Medical School

Waller's Medical Pharmacologgy and Therapeutics has always been a text close to my heart, well the heart of my pharmacology knowledge. It is a comprehensive text used by my medical school for early pharmacology teaching. This book covers all the pharmacology you need, from basic science pharmacology and pathophysiology, through to clinical pharmacology to therapeutics, in line with the integrated approach of new medical curricula. The first section covers the basic principles, and the rest is organised by body systems. Being able to read the book by body system, helps to focus revision and studying. The book ends with sections on toxicity and prescribing practice. This book has fantastic diagrams and has so far been the only pharmacology text to explain to me how the clotting cascade works and where the srugs work! Super read!

Posted 10th Mar 2010

Dominic Haigh, University of Birmingham

Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics begins with general principles of pharmacology, giving advice on its study, including learning the generic name of drugs, whether they are available over the counter and their propensity to cause interactions. The principles of homeostasis, action of drugs at receptors and the major types of receptor and second messenger systems are detailed. Drug action, tolerance and drug responses are explained. A huge table listing receptors with their agonists, antagonists and some extra useful information is near-comprehensive, and certainly more than any medical student needs to know. It is written more for reference than for reading through before more detail has been acquired in subsequent chapters. A limited student formulary is more accessible for the casual reader, detailing the core drugs for common clinical problems encountered in medical practice. Its approach encompasses both acute and chronic management, so the box on acute coronary syndrome includes both GTN and a statin. The entire chapter dedicated to pharmacokinetics is one of the most useful in the entire book. Using named examples, phases of drug metabolism are explained in diagrammatic form, as are drug-protein complexes, the blood-brain barrier and all the other key points. Information on drug discovery stresses the history precedents, cost implications and the essential nature of the different stages of clinical studies. There is a clear explanation of different forms of randomised controlled trial and the use of meta-analyses in post-marketing surveillance. The book takes a disease-based approach to pharmacotherapy wherever possible. Sections of the text detail therapeutic options for treatment of diseases of different body systems. Disorders which are notorious for affecting multiple organ systems, such as diabetes mellitus, are filed under their causative system. Chapters are completed with references to more sources of information on the therapeutics of specific illnesses in the literature. The chapter on the chemotherapy of infections contains excellent information on the classification of antibacterial drugs which clinical students typically fail to retain. Further reference tables throughout the book provide information in an easy-to-read format about specific drugs. Self-assessment questions found in each chapter test understanding, and the answers to them which are provided explain how the sometimes tricky questions are solved.

Posted 18th Jan 2010