Principles of Health: Prescription Drug Abuse
"This impressive reference presents information about the use and abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications in a way that makes it useful for healthcare providers as well as the general public. With seamless, concise language and thoughtful simplicity, the book may serve as an invaluable reference for both groups to evaluate and identify signs of drug abuse. This book is designed to simplify and provide information about medication misuse. The primary clinical use lies in its breakdown of common prescription and over-the-counter medications that are abused. It is an informational book that can be quickly read and used in a healthcare setting. It would be a useful tool in an acute care setting to identify possible drug toxicity. It also may serve as a refresher for pharmacists or other medical providers. Pharmacology is presented in the simplest and most relevant way when necessary. Most of the drug information explains clinical signs and relevance to drug interactions, combinations, and toxidromes. Although geared towards pharmacists and health professionals, this book can be read by anyone who wants to know more about medication abuse, drug interactions, and what concerning signs and symptoms to be aware of for commonly used medications. It would be particularly useful in an acute care or outpatient setting, as abuse symptoms, toxidromes, pharmacology, and drug interactions are well explained in a quick and concise manner. For a reference regarding drug abuse, this book is atypical. It goes further into the origins of abuse, dependence, and addictions, which is helpful for the general public. Topics such as recognition of drug abuse and addiction are examined with information on epidemiology as well as addiction treatment. The graphs, charts, and statistics help make the information easy to understand for the general public. The impressive strengths of this book are the clarity of the writing and the straightforward format, which organizes each drug into separate sections that are easy to find. There is also an index and a separate section with simplified explanations for medical terminology and pharmacology that appear in the text. Abuse symptoms and signs of toxicity are explained by medication, along with the relevant pharmacology. The inclusion of over-the-counter medications, illegal substances, controlled substances, and herbal supplements results in an all-encompassing view of patient drug abuse evaluation. What sets this book apart from other similar references is its ease of use. The layout, which makes it easy to locate specific medications, and the explanations of pharmacology and symptoms that may present in situations of abuse are what make this book incredibly valuable. Most references are difficult to read and include much more information than is necessary. This book is easy to read and presents important information to help healthcare providers or laypersons identify drug abuse." - Doody Enterprises, 2021