Medical Pharmacology at a Glance

The At A Glance series sets out to summarise the essential information about a particular subject for the student requiring a quick introduction or a guide to revision. This is achieved by taking each part of the subject in turn and condensing it into a two-page spread with a schematic diagram on the left and a concise explanation on the right, which repeats some of what is shown in the drawings and adds further basic information. This book presents a broad look at pharmacology with the aid of a series of thoughtfully constructed sketches to show the mechanisms involved in pharmacological processes. It covers basic principles of drug action; drug receptor interactions; drug absorption, distribution and excretion; drug metabolism; how drugs act on specific body systems; and how drugs are used in a variety of common complaints (including peptic ulcer, hypertension, diabetes and cancer). This third edition features two new sections on poisons and drug interactions, and inserts new material on the role of immunotherapy, nitric oxide, and a discussion of 'second messengers.'