Pharmacology for the Primary Care Provider

Written by and for nurse practitioners, and also well suited for physician''s assistant students, this practical textbook focuses on what primary care providers need to know in order practice safe and effective drug therapy. With an overall emphasis on patient teaching and health promotion, Edmunds & Mayhew teaches students and practitioners how to provide effective patient teaching about medications and how to promote adherence to prescribed drug regimens. Drug coverage focuses on "key drugs" - those most commonly used and most representative of each major drug class - with particular emphasis on the top 100 most commonly prescribed drugs. The book also features integrated coverage of nationally accepted clinical and evidence-based practice guidelines. The new 4th edition features a completely new full-color design and illustration program;; coverage of new drugs, new drug classes, and new therapeutic drug uses; updated coverage of the latest national clinical and evidence-based treatment guidelines; newly integrated and highlighted coverage of drug-herb interactions; an expanded emphasis on safety and evidence-based practice, consistent with the QSEN initiative, retooled "Safety Alert!" and "Clinical Practice Alert!" highlights; expanded and an enhanced ancillary package emphasizing graduate-level QSEN KSAs and new pharmacology-focused ArchieMD animations. New Features UNIQUE! Full-color design and illustrations: The 4th edition features an all-new full-color design and illustration program that highlights the content that is most important for primary care prescribers to know. New drugs, drug classes, and therapeutic uses: The new edition is updated throughout to reflect the very latest FDA-approved drugs, drug classes, and therapeutic uses. Coverage of older, lesser-used drugs have been reduced or eliminated, and FDA-withdrawn drugs have been removed. Updated coverage of the latest national clinical and evidence-based treatment guidelines: The book is updated throughout to reflect the very latest national clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment guidelines to ensure that students are equipped with the most up-to-date evidence-based prescribing information. In particular, the 4th edition includes the new JNC8 guidelines for treatment of hypertension and the latest clinical treatment guidelines for diabetes, which change frequently. Integrated and highlighted coverage of drug-herb and other alternative therapy interactions: To supplement the book''s complementary and alternative therapies chapter (Chapter 8), clinically significant drug-herb/supplement interaction tables will be added throughout chapters and highlighted with a distinctive icon. Expanded emphasis on safety and evidence-based practice, consistent with QSEN: To address the growing problem of drug errors and to better align the book with the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) initiative, the book''s emphasis on safe drug administration is enhanced with retooled, color-highlighted "Safety Alert!" and "Clinical Practice Alert!" features (formerly "Clinical Landmine"). The 4th edition also features a greater emphasis on the QSEN competency of evidence-based practice, with frequent reference throughout to reliance on the best research evidence. Reduced coverage of drugs not commonly seen in primary care: The new edition features reduced coverage of drugs not commonly seen in primary care.. This will allow an increased focus on need-to-know drug content for primary care practice. 7. Enhanced ancillary package emphasizing graduate-level QSEN KSAs : Enrollments in graduate-level nursing programs are surging dramatically, particularly in DNP programs. According to AACN, "In just five years, the number of schools offering the DNP has increased from 20 programs in 2006 to 153 programs in 2010, with another 106 programs in the planning stages. Last year [2010], enrollment in these programs grew by 35.3% with 7,034 students now enrolled in DNP programs" (AACN, available at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2011/enrollsurge.html). According to Marilyn Edmunds, however, one result of this growth is a severe shortage of faculty in NP programs, leaving inexperienced faculty in dire need of limited but high-quality ancillary resources. The ancillary package for the 4th edition has been enhanced by revamping and expanding the existing Test Bank to improve the quality and number of questions. Improved chapter-opening Drug Overview tables: The Drug Overview tables, which serve as an advance organizer at the start of each chapter, have been enhanced with more intuitive "Top 100" icons that highlight the most commonly prescribed drugs, as well as an improved, colorful graphic design. Key Features Retained Nurse practitioner focus: Written by Nurse practitioners for Nurse practitioners (as well as PAs), with an overall emphasis on patient teaching and health promotion, Edmunds & Mayhew focuses on the kinds of information that primary care providers need to know. Key drug approach: A "key drug" approach enables students to focus on the most representative, commonly used drugs in each class to promote learning of need-to-know information. Drug Overview tables: Drug Overview tables at the start of each chapter summarize key drugs for each chapter as an advance organizer and conceptual framework for each chapter. Emphasis on the "Top 100" most prescribed drugs: Focuses valuable teaching and study time on the most important, need-to-know drug information Consistent chapter organization: A consistent organization from chapter to chapter facilitates understanding and learning of key concepts. Highlighted content on patient teaching and drug adherence: Highlighted content on patient teaching and adherence to the drug regimen emphasizes the primary care provider''s role in patient teaching, an increasingly integral role in an era when patients and caregivers are now being called upon to do more to manage their own health. Drug therapy for special populations: Extensive coverage of drug therapy for special populations (e.g., geriatric, pediatric) alerts the primary care provider to special considerations based on age, pregnancy, race, etc. Emphasis of health promotion: Consistent with the health promotion emphasis that is characteristic of nurse practitioners in the primary care setting, the book emphasizes how to help patients stay well and improve their health, as well as preparing practitioners to treat illness with drug therapy. Clinical alerts: "Safety Alert!" and "Clinical Practice Alert! features (formerly "Clinical Landmines") highlight essential safety and clinical practice information that primary care providers must remember in order to practice safely and effectively. UNIQUE! Full-color design and illustrations: The 4th edition features an all-new full-color design and illustration program that highlights the content that is most important for primary care prescribers to know. New drugs, drug classes, and therapeutic uses: The new edition is updated throughout to reflect the very latest FDA-approved drugs, drug classes, and therapeutic uses. Coverage of older, lesser-used drugs have been reduced or eliminated, and FDA-withdrawn drugs have been removed. Updated coverage of the latest national clinical and evidence-based treatment guidelines: The book is updated