This title features an engaging writing style, clear explanations, and clinical precision and currency to help you gain a solid understanding of key drugs and their implications. Features such as a drug prototype approach, use of large and small print to distinguish need-to-know versus nice-to-know content, and a focus on major nursing implications save you study time by directing your attention on the most important, need-to-know information. The new edition also features content updates to keep you ahead of the curve in school and in professional practice.--From publisher description.

I. Introduction : Orientation to pharmacology ; Application of pharmacology in nursing practice ; Drug regulation, development, names, and information -- II. Basic principles of pharmacology : Pharmacokinetics ; Pharmacodynamics ; Drug interactions ; Adverse drug reactions and medication errors ; Individual variation in drug responses -- III. Drug therapy across the life span : Drug therapy during pregnancy and breast-feeding ; Drug therapy in pediatric patients ; Drug therapy in geriatric patients -- IV. Peripheral nervous system drugs : Basic principles of neuropharmacology ; Physiology of the peripheral nervous system ; Muscarinic agonists and antagonists ; Cholinesterase inhibitors and their use in myasthenia gravis ; Drugs that block nicotinic cholinergic transmission: neuromuscular blocking agents and ganglionic blocking agents ; Adrenergic agonists ; Adrenergic antagonists ; Indirect-acting antiadrenergic agents -- V. Central nervous system drugs : Introduction to central nervous system pharmacology ; Drugs for Parkinson's disease ; Alzheimer's disease ; Drugs for multiple sclerosis ; Drugs for epilepsy ; Drugs for muscle spasm and spasticity ; Local anesthetics ; General anesthetics ; Opioid (narcotic) analgesics, opioid antagonists, and nonopioid centrally acting analgesics ; Pain management in patients with cancer ; Drugs for headache ; Antipsychotic agents and their use in schizophrenia ; Antidepressants ; Drugs for bipolar disorder ; Sedative-hypnotic drugs ; Management of anxiety disorders ; Central nervous system stimulants and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ; Drug abuse I: Basic considerations ; Drug abuse II: Alcohol ; Drug abuse III: Nicotine and smoking ; Drug abuse IV: Major drugs of abuse other than alcohol and nicotine. VI. Drugs that affect fluid and electrolyte balance : Diuretics ; Agents affecting the volume and ion content of body fluids -- VII. Drugs that affect the heart, blood vessels, and blood : Review of hemodynamics ; Drugs acting on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system ; Calcium channel blockers ; Vasodilators ; Drugs for hypertension ; Drugs for heart failure ; Antidysrhythmic drugs ; Prophylaxis of coronary heart disease: drugs that help normalize cholesterol and triglyceride levels ; Drugs for angina pectoris ; Anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and thrombolytic drugs ; Management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction ; Drugs for hemophilia ; Drugs for deficiency anemias ; Hematopoietic agents -- VIII. Drugs for endocrine disorders : Drugs for diabetes mellitus ; Drugs for thyroid disorders ; Drugs related to hypothalamic and pituitary function ; Drugs for disorders of the adrenal cortex -- IX. Women's health : Estrogens and progestins: basic pharmacology and noncontraceptive applications ; Birth control ; Drug therapy of infertility ; Drugs that affect uterine function -- X. Men's health : Androgens ; Drugs for erectile dysfunction and benign prostatic hyperplasia -- XI. Anti-inflammatory, antiallergic, and immunologic drugs : Review of the immune system ; Childhood immunization ; Immunosuppresants ; Antihistamines ; Cyclooxygenase inhibitors: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen ; Glucocorticoids in nonendocrine disorders -- XII. Drugs for bone and joint disorders : Drug therapy of rheumatoid arthritis ; Drug therapy of gout ; Drugs affecting calcium levels and bone mineralization -- XIII. Respiratory tract drugs : Drugs for asthma ; Drugs for allergic rhinitis, cough, and colds -- XIV. Gastrointestinal drugs : Drugs for peptic ulcer disease ; Laxatives ; Other gastrointestinal drugs. XV. Nutrition : Vitamins ; Drugs for weight loss -- XVI. Chemotherapy of infectious diseases : Basic principles of antimicrobial therapy ; Drugs that weaken the bacterial cell wall I: penicillins ; Drugs that weaken the bacterial cell wall II: cephalosporins, carbapenems, vancomycin, telavancin, aztreonam, teicoplanin, and fosfomycin -- Bacteriostatic inhibitors of protein synthesis: tetracyclines, macrolides, and others ; Aminoglycosides: bactericidal inhibitors of protein synthesis ; Sulfonamides and trimethoprim ; Drug therapy of urinary tract infections ; Antimycobacterial agents: drugs for tuberculosis, leprosy, and Mycobacterium avium complex infection ; Miscellaneous antibacterial drugs: fluoroquinolones, metronidazole, daptomycin, rifampin, rifaximin, bacitracin, and polymyxins ; Antifungal agents ; Antiviral agents I: drugs for non-HIV viral infections ; Antiviral agents II: drugs for HIV infection and related opportunistic infections ; Drug therapy of sexually transmitted diseases ; Antiseptics and disinfectants -- XVII. Chemotherapy of parasitic diseases : Anthelmintics ; Antiprotozoal drugs I: antimalarial agents ; Antiprotozoal drugs II: miscellaneous agents ; Ectoparasiticides -- XVIII. Cancer chemotherapy : Basic principles of cancer chemotherapy ; Anticancer drugs I: cytotoxic agents ; Anticancer drugs II: hormonal agents, targeted drugs, and other noncytotoxic anticancer drugs -- XIX. Additional important drugs : Drugs for the eye ; Drugs for the skin ; Drugs for the ear ; Miscellaneous noteworthy drugs -- XX. Alternative therapy : Dietary supplements -- XXI. Toxicology : Management of poisoning ; Potential weapons of biologic, radiologic, and chemical terrorism -- Appendixes : A. Adult immunization, United States ; B. Guide to gender-related drugs ; C. Commonly used abbreviations ; D. Canadian drug information ; E. Prototype drugs and their major uses.