The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7218 p505
5 October 2002

This article
Reprint
Photocopy

Valuable new section on EHC in essential textbook for students

'Symptoms in the pharmacy: a guide to the management of common illness' (4th edition), by Alison Blenkinsopp and Paul Paxton. Pp vii+303. Price £24.95. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd; 2001. ISBN 0 632 05906 0

Since the first edition of this book in 1988, it has become an essential textbook for all pharmacy undergraduates and preregistration trainees and a unique reference for all pharmacists in practice.

The fourth edition has a revised introduction to strengthen the "triaging process" with a useful section introducing an evidence-based approach to treatment which takes account of three aspects: the quality of available evidence; the professional experience of the pharmacist; and the patient's own experience and preferences. The chapter on women's health has been extended to include a valuable section on emergency hormonal contraception (EHC), with useful advice on the management of such requests. I was rather disappointed by the case studies in this section and the conservative nature of the pharmacist's and doctor's responses, which may reflect the sensitivity that surrounds the sale of EHC. Having said that one of the many strengths of this book is the case studies, which are up to date, relevant and presented in such a way as to reinforce the learning within each chapter.

If you currently own the third edition I would strongly recommend that you buy this new edition which has been revised to include the wider range of pharmacy medicines currently available due to the reclassification of many medicines. If you do not own any edition I hope you are not working in community practice!

Clare Mackie