7 Drugs used in chronic conditions Introduction A large number of chronic diseases are brought about by demographic, environmental and lifestyle changes. Common conditions include asthma, diabetes, hypertension, Parkinson’s disease…
3 Local anaesthetics and analgesics Introduction Pain is a sensation that lets us know about damage occurring to our tissue. It is one of our defence mechanisms and is important…
4 Antimicrobials Introduction Infectious disease is a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. Many micro-organisms live either inside or on the outside of the human body. These…
8 Drugs used in mental health Introduction The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to drugs used in common mental health problems. The chapter examines three key areas…
1 Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics Introduction Part of the nurse’s role, alongside the pharmacist, is the need to ensure that medicines are administered appropriately. That is why it is essential that…
5 Anti-inflammatory drugs Introduction Inflammation is the body’s response mechanism to cellular damage. Without the inflammatory response our bodies could not survive. Therefore, inflammation is a protective mechanism designed to…
6 Anticoagulant therapy Introduction Blood clotting is a normal homeostatic mechanism, the purpose of which is to prevent the loss of blood from the cardiovascular system and to ensure that…
2 Adverse drug reactions and interactions Introduction The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to the concepts of adverse drug reactions and drug interactions and side-effects. According to the…
9 Patient concordance Introduction Medicines that are prescribed but not taken by patients represent a large loss in drug and prescribing costs and an enormous waste of expensive health professionals’…
10 Legal and professional issues Introduction The aim of this chapter is to introduce you to the legal and professional issues faced by nurses in medicines management. Nurses are bound…
