This fourth edition of How Drugs Work equips readers with a set of clear concepts for matching the pharmacology to the diagnosis, and has been completely revised and updated to reflect the latest knowledge and terminology. Rather than providing overwhelmingly comprehensive information, it condenses the aspects of pharmacology directly relevant to everyday practice into a concise, accessible volume, including material on the half life of drugs, patient non-compliance and severe chronic inflammation.

Getting a drug into the body: absorption. Getting a drug to its site of action: distribution. Inactivating drugs: phase 1 drug metabolism. Phase 2 drug metabolism and methods of excretion. Drug's half-life. Receptor function and intercellular signalling. The central role of receptors in drug action. Drugs that block enzymes: understanding NSAID therapy in inflammation. The principal targets for drug action. Calcium ion for the prescriber. Drugs and the Central Nervous System. Introduction to drugs in the central nervous system. Drugs whose action is (a) understood, (b) unknown/speculative. The actions of drugs used to treat anxiety, insomnia and life-threatening status epilepticus. Drugs used to treat Parkinsonism. Pain analgesics. How anti-emetic drugs work. Antipsychotic drugs. Antidepressant drugs. Anti-epileptic drugs. Drugs of abuse: hallucinogens and CNS stimulants. Alzheimer's disease. Drug topics of special importance. Severe chronic inflammation. The scientific basis of prescribing for the elderly. Antibacterial action and bacterial resistance. How to prevent adverse drug interactions - ADIs.