Prescription Drugs - Hardcover

Katcher

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689119151 ISBN 13: 9780689119156

Publisher: Scribner, 1988

Synopsis

Provides information on the names, interactions, and therapeutic uses of prescription drugs and discusses the side effects for older people

About this title

From Library Journal

Unlike most books dealing with prescription drugs, the AARP Handbook is arranged by types of medical conditions and provides a brief discussion of each condition, its causes and diagnosis, and drugs used in treatment. The handbook includes generic and brand names for each drug; possible side effects; effects of alcohol, food, exposure to the sun, and excessive heat or cold; storage instructions; and special considerations for those over 65. Considerably increasing its value as a reference is the inclusion of a drug name index. Prescription Drugs by Katcher has a more usual arrangement, alphabetical by drug name. It provides brief, basic information on the most commonly prescribed drugs: what each is supposed to do, side effects, drug interactions, effects of alcohol and food, and how age affects response to the drug. Fewer than 200 drugs are included, less than half the numbercovered in the AARP Handbook. Although both books are aimed at those over 50, their usefulness is not limited to that age group. Because its arrangement by medical condition provides a valuable approach to medications, the AARP Handbook would be a useful addition to most public library reference collections. Katcher's book, however, is just one of many similar titles. Even so, if one wants a quick and succinct reference to a common drug, this could fill the bill. Anne Twitchell, EPA Headquarters Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly

As the graying of America advances, the demand should increase for age-specific books such as this one. The author, who holds a doctorate in pharmacology, explains that with aging comes both an increased use of and greater sensitivity to prescription drugs. According to Katcher, "a person who is 60 to 70 years old is nearly twice as likely to experience a problem with drug therapy as is a person 30 to 40 years of age." The aim of this book is to prevent drug-induced illness by supplying readers with useful information on the ways drugs work and interact. Part one is a brief survey of how aging affects one's responses to drugs. Part two, the bulk of the book, is a practical reference to those drugs most commonly prescribed to patients over the age of 50. The 92 entries, alphabetical by generic name, list the various names of a given drug, explain what a drug is meant to do, and detail possible side effects and interactions with other drugs, alcohol and food. This is a lucid, if somewhat alarmist, compendium for older readers.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0689119151
• ISBN 13: 9780689119156
• Binding: Board book
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368