The Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Drugs (Facts on File Library of Health and Living) (Facts on File Library of Health & Living)

The use of therapeutic drugs is on the rise in the United States, and many Americans use more than one prescription or over-the-counter drug for everything from minor aches and pains to life-sustaining medication. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48 percent of Americans used a prescription drug in 2008, marking a rise in the use of prescription drugs over previous years. In the same year, an estimated $234.1 billion was spent on prescription drugs. In 2009, approximately $16.8 billion was spent on over-the-counter drugs, according to the Nielsen Company.

The Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Drugs is a one-stop guide to the major types of drugs in use today. This insightful new reference helps readers understand the different kinds of drugs, how they work, and how they interact with foods and other drugs. Each article discusses a particular drug's history, its purpose, what it treats, how it is used, off-label uses, differences in its use and effect among varying ethnic and social groups, side effects, and future prospects for improvements or new drugs of the same type. The history of the pharmaceuticals industry in the United States, the FDA approval process for new drugs, and the economic, political, and social issues that affect the development and sale of therapeutic drugs are also examined in this comprehensive resource. Appendixes include common prescription abbreviations and common medication errors.

Topics include:

• Analgesics
• Antidepressants
• Antidiabetic agents
• Antineoplastics
• Antiparkinsons agents
• Corticosteroids
• Decongestants
• Immunosuppresives
• Respiratory inhalants
• Vaccines.

Dana K. Cassell has been a professional writer and editor of nonfiction for more than 30 years. She has authored or ghostwritten a dozen books, including encyclopedias for Facts On File's Library of Health and Living series, the most recent of which are The Encyclopedia of Autoimmune Diseases, Second Edition; The Encyclopedia of Death and Dying; and The Encyclopedia of Obesity and Eating Disorders, Third Edition. She has also published more than 2,000 magazine articles in nearly 200 magazines, including Drug Topics and others in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. She currently writes a monthly OTC product column for Drug Topics.

Cynthia A. Sanoski, Pharm. D., FCCP, BCPS is chair and associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the Jefferson School of Pharmacy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Previously, she served as associate professor of clinical pharmacy in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Sanoski has given numerous presentations on the management of various cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac arrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome, and acute decompensated heart failure. She has published in a number of peer-reviewed journals, including Archives of Internal Medicine, Formulary, Pharmacotherapy, Chest, Journal of Pharmacy Practice, and Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.