Stockley's Drug Interactions - Pocket companion(Editor) edited by KarenBaxter. Published by Pharmaceutical Press, London. 2012. 603 pp, price £25.99. ISBN: 9780857110251

Abstract

Stockley's Drug Interacions – Pocket companion 2012 has summarized the reference work Stockley's Drug Interactions which provides concise, accurate and clinically relevant information to health care professionals on this important topic. It provides a portable quick reference guide to clinically relevant evaluated and evidence-based information about drug interactions. As with the full reference work, this pocket companion attempts to answer the following questions; Are the drugs or substances in question known to interact or is the interaction only theoretical and speculative? How serious is the interaction? How common is this interaction? What proportion of patients is affected by the interaction? Should some drug combinations be avoided altogether or can the interaction be accommodated in some way? What alternative and safer drugs can be used instead to avoid an interaction? Evidence-based guidance is provided on the management of common drug–drug, drug–herb and drug–food interactions. Each monograph in Stockley's Drug Interactions was assessed by practising clinical pharmacists for inclusion in the Pocket companion. However interactions involving anaesthesia, the specialist use of multiple antiretrovirals, the specialist use of multiple antineoplastics or intravenous interactions, and non-interactions were omitted although exceptions were made where controversy exists over whether or not a drug interacts. The quick reference format helps summarize the interaction and management advice. Easy to use severity ratings provide guidance on the clinical significance of a particular interaction. These ratings are combined to produce one of four symbols for interactions which have a life-threatening outcome, for interactions where concurrent use may result in a significant hazard to the patient requiring dose adjustment/close monitoring, for interactions where there is some doubt about the outcome of concurrent use and for interactions which are not considered to be of clinical significance or where no interaction occurs. Over 1900 interaction monographs (including 200 new monographs) are included in this edition. The particular monographs are structured alphabetically for ease of searching with International Non-proprietary Names (INNs) to identify drug names with cross references to US Approved Names (USANs) also included where drug names differ significantly and a comprehensive back of book reference is provided. The information is based on the most recent quarterly update of Stockley's Drug Interactions at the time of going to press with the data being fully referenced and available at http://www.medicinescomplete.com. This pocket companion, in summary, provides a quick reference guide for physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other health care professionals.