Essentials of Pharmacology : Singh, Surender

Essentials of Pharmacology

Pharmacology has undergone major intellectual changes in the recent years because of recent innovation and developments in drug research and drug therapy now forms a major aspect of therapeutics. Besides many important therapeutic changes e.Br>g certain classes of therapeutic agents are no longer widely used and they are replaced with newer classes of drugs due to molecular targets for drug action such as non-sedative antihistaminics, new classes of benzodiazepines, calcium channel blockers, cox-2 inhibitors, immunomodulating drugs, monoclonal antibodies, biological, targeted drug therapy, biosimilars and many more. A sincere attempt has been made to reflect these changes by incorporating newer drugs used therapeutically and giving lesser importance to drugs which have less clinically utility. The book is divided into twelve sections of sixty five chapters; initial section covers the General and autonomic pharmacology, followed by other sections of drug acting on different body systems. The last section covers vitamins, vaccines & Sera, radiopharmaceuticals, immunological agents, chelating agents & treatment of poisoning and drugs used in skin and ophthalmic disorders. Each br>Chapter has been meticulously elaborated in its unique style of presentation. In each br>Chapter, the prototype drug is described in detail, followed by special distinctive features of other drugs in the same group and more emphasis is given to latest available drug. The Chemotherapy section has been extensively revised especially the Antiviral agents, HIV and antiretroviral agents and Anticancer agent in view of the latest drug targets e.Br>g protease inhibitors, nrti’s, nnrti’, integrase inhibitors, fusion inhibitors and pathway targeted Anticancer therapies. The chapters have been arranged in such a way that knowledge gained from initial chapters will be helpful to students for understanding subsequent chapters. The appendix contains the updated list of approved drugs, banned drugs, who model list of essential medicines and National list of essential medicines. An attempt has been made to present a complete text for undergraduate and postgraduate students of medical, pharmacy and other health Science students as per the syllabus requirement by various universities and Council of India and other developing countries. But still, I feel that there is a much scope for improvement and addition in this rapidly changing field. Helpful criticism and suggestions from the readers are welcome.