Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics provides all the information medical and healthcare students need throughout their degree programme and beyond, including for professional qualifications such as the PSA.

This all-round textbook covers basic pharmacology through to drug prescribing in clinical contexts, covering the pathogenic mechanisms of disease; drug actions, side effects, and the therapeutic principles of drug use. It takes a helpful systems-based approach that orders information according to body systems and disease areas, rather than by drug class.

Now in its sixth edition, the book has been fully updated to include latest scientific understanding of drug action and administration and current best practice in prescribing medications, informed by the latest national guidelines.
* A clinical focus throughout – suitable for medical, nursing and other healthcare students throughout their training
* Thorough update of clinically-relevant medicines to ensure best practice
* Information aligned with the British National Formulary (BNF), NICE guidelines and relevant professional benchmarks ◦Comprehensive drug compendia allow all drugs to be identified and placed within their respective classes
* Extensive self-assessment questions to support learning and revision
* New to this edition Expanded discussion of the pathophysiology and management of shock
* Revised discussion of the management of chronic pain
* Consideration of treatment of Covid-19
* Expanded discussion of the pathophysiology and management of shock

* Revised discussion of the management of chronic pain

* Consideration of treatment of Covid-19

Preface, vii
Drug Dosage and Nomenclature, viii
SECTION 1 GENERAL PRINCIPLES, 1
1. Principles of Pharmacology and Mechanisms of
Drug Action, 1
2. Pharmacokinetics, 32
3. Drug Discovery, Safety and Efficacy, 62
4. Neurotransmission and the Peripheral Autonomic
Nervous System, 71
SECTION 2 THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM, 89
5. Ischaemic Heart Disease, 89
6. Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertension, 108
7. Heart Failure and Shock, 128
8. Cardiac Arrhythmias, 142
9. Cerebrovascular Disease and Dementia, 160
10. Peripheral Artery Disease, 169
11. Haemostasis, 175
SECTION 3 THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM, 192
12. Asthma and Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease, 192
13. Respiratory Disorders: Cough, Respiratory
Stimulants, Cystic Fibrosis, Idiopathic Pulmonary
Fibrosis and Neonatal Respiratory Distress
Syndrome, 211
SECTION 4 THE RENAL SYSTEM, 218
14. Diuretics, 218
15. Disorders of Micturition, 229
16. Erectile Dysfunction, 236
SECTION 5 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, 242
17. General Anaesthetics, 242
18. Local Anaesthetics, 252
19. Opioid Analgesics and the Management of Pain, 258
20. Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and
Insomnia, 273
21. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder, 281
22. Depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder and Narcolepsy, 292
23. Seizures and Epilepsy, 308
24. Extrapyramidal Movement Disorders and
Spasticity, 323
25. Other Neurological Disorders: Multiple Sclerosis,
Motor Neuron Disease and Guillain–Barré
Syndrome, 336
26. Migraine and Other Headaches, 342
SECTION 6 THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM, 350
27. The Neuromuscular Junction and Neuromuscular
Blockade, 350
28. Myasthenia Gravis, 357
29. Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs, 361
vi Contents
30. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Other Inflammatory
Arthritides and Osteoarthritis, 371
31. Hyperuricaemia, Gout and Pseudogout, 383
SECTION 7 THE GASTROINTESTINAL SYSTEM, 389
32. Nausea and Vomiting, 389
33. Dyspepsia, Peptic Ulcer Disease and
Gastrooesophageal Reflux Disease, 397
34. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 408
35. Constipation, Diarrhoea and Irritable Bowel
Syndrome, 415
36. Liver Disease, 423
37. Obesity, 432
SECTION 8 THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, 437
38. The Immune Response and Immunosuppressant
Drugs, 437
39. Antihistamines and Allergic Disease, 450
SECTION 9 The Endocrine System
and Metabolism, 457
40. Diabetes Mellitus, 457
41. The Thyroid and Control of Metabolic Rate, 473
42. Calcium Metabolism and Metabolic Bone
Disease, 480
43. Pituitary and Hypothalamic Hormones, 491
44. Corticosteroids (Glucocorticoids and
Mineralocorticoids), 503
45. Female Reproduction, 512
46. Androgens, Antiandrogens and Anabolic
Steroids, 530
47. Anaemia and Haematopoietic Colony-Stimulating
Factors, 535
48. Lipid Disorders, 545
SECTION 10 The Skin and Eyes , 558
49. Skin Disorders, 558
50. The Eye, 567
SECTION 11 A NTIMICROBIAL THERAPY, 578
51. Drugs for Infections, 578
SECTION 12 CANCER, 630
52. Drugs for Cancer, 630
SECTION 13 General Features: Toxicity
and Prescribing , 661
53. Drug Toxicity and Overdose, 661
54. Substance Abuse and Dependence, 677
55. Prescribing, Adherence and Information About
Medicines, 693
56. Drug Therapy in Special Situations, 700
Index, 712