Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy + Oxford Handbook of Clinical Pharmacy, 2nd Ed.

The Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy, Second Edition and the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Pharmacy, Second Edition are now available together this great value package.

The Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy links practical information about how to use medicines with concise details about the pharmacology of a drug, and the principles of clinical pharmacology that govern its action.

The overall structure of this handbook is similar to the UK national formulary, with topics on each drug arranged broadly by therapeutic category. When a drug has several different uses, these are brought together in a single topic, allowing the reader to appreciate its full range of actions, whether therapeutic or adverse.
Each drugs topic provides information in a clearly laid out and standardised form, and includes a graphical representation of the pharmacological actions of the drug, and its potential uses, practical advice on a drug's major indications, a list of common and serious adverse effects, major drug-drug interactions, practical advice on monitoring for therapeutic and adverse effects, and what to tell the patient.

Teaching points throughout the text, draw out pharmacological principles, so that readers can increase their basic knowledge by linking theory with practical examples. Also included are several boxes giving guidance on the approach to therapy of specific diseases an clinical problems. In some cases, algorithms for the treatment of medical emergencies are given, and this new edition features case histories throughout the text to illustrate the issues one may face in practical prescribing.

The Oxford Handbook of Practical Drug Therapy brings together for the first time in a single book really practical information on safe prescribing, with the background knowledge that underpins clinical pharmacology. Fully revised with new guidance and important safety information, this book is aimed primarily at medical students and trainees, it will also be invaluable to family doctors, clinical pharmacists, and nurse prescribers.

Now fully updated for a second edition, the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Pharmacy remains the indispensible guide to clinical pharmacy, providing all the information needed for practising and student pharmacists. Presenting handy practical guidance in a quick-reference, bullet-point format, it will supply the knowledge and confidence you need to provide a clinical pharmacy service.

The handbook includes information on controlled drugs, adverse drug reactions, interactions, communication skills, and confidentiality. It also features chapters on adherence, anaphylaxis, clinical trials, herbal medicines, patient management, pharmaceutical calculations, research, policy, and therapy related issues. Palliative care sections have been expanded to include symptom management and end-of-life pathways. Other new sections such as pharmacogenetics, thyroid disorders, and domiciliary oxygen therapy have been included.

Complementing the current British National Formulary guidelines, the handbook gives prescribing points and linked concepts of relevance to clinical pharmacists. The content is evidence-based and contains a wealth of information from the authors' many years of clinical pharmacy experience.

Duncan Richards, Clinical Director, GlaxoSmithKline Academic Discovery, UK,Jeffrey Aronson,Clinical Reader in Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Oxford, UK,John Reynolds,Consultant Physician, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Honorary Lecturer in ClinicalPharmacology, University of Oxford, UK,Jamie Coleman, Specialist Registrar in Clinical Pharmacology, Honorary Lecturer in Medicine, University of Birmingham, UK,Philip Wiffen,Director of Training at the UK Cochrane Centre and Co-ordinating Editor of Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive CareGroup, Pain Research Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK,Marc Mitchell,Divisional Pharmacist and Lead Cancer Pharmacist, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, UK,Melanie Snelling,Lead Pharmacist, HIV and Infectious Diseases, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, UK,Nicola Stoner,Lead Cancer Pharmacist, Cancer Directorate and Cancer Research UK, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, UK

Duncan Richards trained in clinical pharmacology at Oxford where he developed a strong interest in translational pharmacology. Since completing his training, Duncan has worked in drug discovery for GSK. His current role is as Clinical Director of the Academic Discovery Performance Unit. This group aims to bring together the drug development expertise of GSK with the specialist knowledge of academic investigators to develop a portfolio of novel drug molecules.


Jeff Aronson is Reader in Clinical Pharmacology, University of Oxford, and Honorary Consultant Physician to the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. He does acute medical takes and teaches clinical students general medicine and practical drug therapy and prescribing. His research interests span all aspects of clinical pharmacology, especially adverse drug reactions and monitoring therapeutic interventions. He is President of the British Pharmacological Society, a member of the Formulary Committees of the British National Formulary and the British National Formulary for Children, a member of the Technology Appraisal Committee of NICE, Chairman of the British Pharmacopoeia Commission's Expert Advisory Group on Nomenclature, and Editor-in-Chief of Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs-The International Encyclopedia of Adverse Drug Reactions and Interactions (15th edition, 2006) and of its annual update volumes (Side Effects of Drugs Annuals).


Dr Jamie Coleman received his MBChB from the University of Birmingham in 1999. He trained in the West Midlands as a Clinical Pharmacologist undertaking an MD on the subject of adverse drug reactions which he completed in 2008. During his training he also developed an interest in medical teaching and gained an MA Medical Education in 2008. He took up a Consultant Clinical Pharmacologist job in early 2009 at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and is an honorary senior lecturer in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences at the University of Birmingham. He continues to be involved in the teaching of therapeutics and prescribing to a wide variety of healthcare professionals at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.


Mel Snelling is Lead HIV and Infectious Diseases Pharmacist for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, a post she has held since 1993. Mel studied Pharmacy at Chelsea College, London University then completed her pre-registration training at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. She then worked at Odstock Hospital in Salisbury before spending three years as Assistant Region Drug Information Pharmacist for Oxford Region Health Authority, during which time she completed an MPhil thesis on Risk Factors for Adverse Drug Reactions. During 2000 and 2001, Mel worked at Bugando Medical Centre, a tertiary referral hospital in Tanzania, introducing a basic Clinical Pharmacy service to the hospital. She has maintained her African connections by training on HIV treatment and care in Uganda and South Africa.


Nicola Stoner is Lead Cancer Pharmacist for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, where she leads a team of specialist pharmacists and technicians providing the clinical pharmacy service to the Cancer Directorate and Cancer Research UK. Nicola undertook a PhD in Antiemetics in Cancer Chemotherapy from 1990 to 1993. She commenced her clinical pharmacy career specializing in cancer pharmacy in a post part-funded by Cancer Research UK in 1990, and was one of the first specialist clinical pharmacists in the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. After completing her pre-registration training in Birmingham City Hospital, she completed her post-graduate diploma in clinical pharmacy part-time while working in the Oxford Hospitals. She is editor of the Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice and is currently undertaking her practice certificate in supplementary prescribing.


D. John Reynolds is a Consultant Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Oxford, UK

Philip Wiffen is the Director of Training at the UK Cochrane Centre and Co-ordinating Editor of Cochrane Pain; Palliative and Supportive Care Group, Pain Research Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK.