The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7257 p63
12 July 2003

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A valuable book that, strangely, fails to explain how clinical pharmacy is practised

'Clinical pharmacy and therapeutics', 3rd edition, edited by Roger Walker and Clive Edwards. Pp xiv+937. Price £39.99. London: Elsevier Science Ltd; 2002. ISBN 0 4430 7137 3

Slightly larger and with a slightly reduced font size, the chapters in this third edition show significant expansion on the previous volume of information and now include references to key trials. Changes in therapeutics over the past five years are reflected in the text: the British Hypertension Society Guidelines 1999; increasing evidence for dopamine agonists in Parkinson's disease, and others. The use of evidence to support statements in the text is an excellent development, particularly since it is not overplayed.

However, this book will not please all readers equally. Undergraduate students might find themselves a little swamped with information at a stage where they are unable to differentiate the important from the unimportant. Specialist pharmacists might find the text useful for teaching but less so as an information source for themselves.

Strangely enough, for a textbook with the title that it has, little information is given on how clinical pharmacy is practised, what it can achieve, and the environment of evidence base and risk management driving the new National Health Service. Key points for the pharmaceutical care of commonly encountered conditions might have been useful although some common problems with drug therapy are often mentioned.

Despite some minor niggles this book remains a unique and valuable support for all those involved or interested in drug therapy. Although sufficient information might be lacking for the specialist pharmacist, the generalist part of them should be more than satisfied with the level of information provided. This is a textbook that no university or pharmacy department, particularly those with employees studying at any level, and no pharmacist trying to develop their knowledge base should be without.

Chris Green and John Sexton

Dr Chris Green is assistant director of pharmacy, clinical services, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.

John Sexton is principal pharmacist lecturer-practitioner at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and at Liverpool John Moores University.