• DRUG ENTRIES

The Nurse’s Drug Handbook clearly and concisely presents all the vital facts on the drugs that you’ll typically administer. To help you find the information you need quickly, drug entries are organized alphabetically by generic drug name. For ease of use, every drug entry follows a consistent format. However, if specific details are unknown or don’t apply, the heading isn’t included so you can go right to the next section.

• GENERIC AND TRADE NAMES

First, each entry identifies the drug’s main generic name, as well as alternate generic names. (For drugs prescribed by trade name, you can quickly check the comprehensive index, which refers you to the appropriate generic name and page.)

• CLASS, CATEGORY, AND SCHEDULE

Each entry lists the drug’s pharmacologic and therapeutic classes. With this information, you can compare drugs in the same pharmacologic class but in different therapeutic classes.

• MECHANISM OF ACTION

This section concisely describes how a drug achieves its therapeutic effects at cellular, tissue, and organ levels, as appropriate. Illustrations of selected mechanisms of action lend exceptional clarity to sometimes complex processes.

• CONTRAINDICATIONS

An alphabetical list details the conditions and disorders that preclude administration of the topic drug.

• INTERACTIONS

This section includes drugs, foods, and activities (such as alcohol use and smoking) that can cause important, problematic, or life-threatening interactions with the topic drug. For each interacting drug, food, or activity, you’ll learn the effects of the interaction.

• ADVERSE REACTIONS

Organized by body system, this section highlights common, serious, and life-threatening adverse reactions.

In short, the Nurse’s Drug Handbook is designed expressly to give you more of what you need. It puts vital drug information at your fingertips and helps you always stay current in this critical part of your practice or studies.