Fundamentals of Pharmacology

Fundamentals of Pharmacology is primarily a text for undergraduate and  postgraduate students in the health science disciplines, particularly  those in nursing. It is designed to establish a foundational knowledge  of pharmacology - the study of drug and medication actions and  interactions. Students of other health disciplines whose roles involve  pharmacological therapy (such as pharmacy, podiatry, optometry,  paramedic and physiotherapy), as well as those studying basic science,  should find much of the material relevant to their studies. Qualified  health professionals may also find this textbook useful as a part of  their continuing professional education and postgraduate studies.  Philosophically, our goal is to empower health professionals through an  understanding of the fundamental scientific principles of pharmacology  that inform clinical practice. To promote understanding, we believe that  the effects of medicines on physiological and pathophysiological  processes have to be clearly explained. We have included a small amount  of chemistry and biochemistry where appropriate to facilitate this  understanding. With a greater appreciation of the action of medicines  and their target tissues, the reader should be able to deduce what  therapeutic and adverse effects to expect, as well as the precautions  and contraindications to consider. We have sought to balance the  pharmacology content with considerations associated with clinical  practice in the most readable way. Where possible, we have tended to  describe the important characteristics of medicine groupings rather than  focus on individual agents. We have used prototypes and common generics  as examples. The rationale for this approach is that new medicines are  regularly entering the market while older agents are removed. The  average practitioner cannot possibly keep up with all these changes.  However, if a student knows which grouping a new agent belongs to, the  principal characteristics of the medicine can be easily deduced.