Pharmacology Online Textbook Free

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Alexandrin Chaples

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Aug 5, 2024, 6:43:28 AM8/5/24

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The textbook provides a comprehensive overview of pharmacology at the student RN level. Within the Kinetics & Dynamics chapter, each area of pharmacokinetics included a section on variations for pediatrics and older adults. It is important for nursing students to be exposed to the differences that can occur in different age groups. The book also includes segments on nursing process for the various drug categories.

Since my area of expertise is CV, I chose to examine this chapter closely. In CV medications, the book discusses digoxin as a 2nd line medication. That is clearly up-to-date, digoxin is no longer a first line medication for any CV disorder, some textbooks don't keep up with these changes.

The content is up-to-date. The authors just updated the text to a 2nd edition. Many topics in pharmacology stay the same, but of course there are hundreds of new medications that come on the market every year.

in the 2nd chapter, the authors do discuss culturally congruent practice and cultural competence. I think they could consider changing to "cultural humility" or "cultural respect" since "cultural competence" is not really achievable. The authors also discuss social determinants of health in this chapter, which are important for nursing students to understand. The authors include a few examples of culturally congruent practice and medication therapy. There are genetic differences in the way that drugs are metabolized. The authors may want to consider including a brief section on genetics and pharmacokinetics.

This book is well done and easy for nursing students to use. I have used it as my primary text for a couple of years now.

Ideas for the next revision:

I think in GI, it is time to add a section on medications used for weight loss (such as Ozempic and Wegovy). These medications are being prescribed/used at a very high rate and nurses should be familiar with them.

Also in antidiabetic medications SGLT2 inhibitors are becoming increasingly popular in use, they may should be added in the endocrine section.

The text is definitely designed for entry-level nursing students and covers fewer exemplars/drug classes than other texts I have utilized in pharmacology courses (missing immune modulators, contraceptives, chemotherapy agents, meds for OAB and BPH), but presents common drug classes in a concise and understandable way. The glossary and table of contents are excellent.

Text includes action, indication, nursing considerations, adverse effects, patient teaching/education, and a medication grid for each drug class. Adding additional hyperlinks for new drugs or drug class generations in future editions would be one way to keep up-to-date.

Reading level is appropriate for an introduction to pharmacology course, seems suitable for multi-lingual students. Bolded text offers basic definitions of unfamiliar words. Text and ancillary materials are clear and tailored to a novice audiance - offers solid foundation for learning basic pharmacology concepts.

Excellent. Easy to follow, concise chapters with consistent layout. Adjunct modules and interactive learning activities truly seem to enhance the readings. Very nice physiology review at the beginning of each section.

The text is well-written and comprehensive, the right level entry-level nursing students. The book includes links to DailyMed for reference to information about medications from the National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health. I especially appreciate that the on-line version of the resource includes alternate learning activities such as flash cards, mini quizzes, videos, case studies and graphics which could be used individually, or in class as a starting point for formative learning or group discussions.

This book was really helpful to review as a pharmacology professor. It offered information in a way that is easy to understand and allows for comprehensive learning for nursing students. Information is relevant, up to date, and inclusive.

This text book gives a good overall comprehensive review of pharmacology from the perspective of how it affects each system in the body. Along with inclusion on pharmacokinetics, dynamics, and legal/ethical considerations each chapter is broken down into basic overview of the body systems and the pertinent medications for that area. Included are alternate learning activities such as flash cards, mini quizzes, videos, and graphics.

This book would be excellent for both PN and AD nursing programs and could also be considered for a general pharmacology course for those interested in other areas of medicine such as medical coding, or pharmacy technician.

The ease of use of the on-line book is wonderful. Reading level is appropriate for entry level knowledge into the pharmacology world. Learning activities embedded within the various chapters makes for clarity of understanding and also alternative ways of learning.

Organization of the text into modules based on the body systems helps the learner to focus attention on relevant information as it pertains to each body system. This makes learning more relevant and tangible to for many learners.

Utilizing Google Chrome I had no issue with utilizing the text book. You can download the book into a PDF format also if the reader has issues with internet connectivity. Using the text-book on-line gives access to items such as videos, and interactive activities that you can otherwise not access in a PDF.

ADN level of material that covers all the required areas of pharmacology for the 2 year program. It is a "need to know" without getting bogged down in the "nice to know." Glossary is easy to use, There are some newer medications and new classes of...read more

In the antidiabetic chapter only one brand of rapid insulin is shown which may be construed to endorse only one type of rapid insulin. That may be because it was the first one produced in the 1990s. This chapter needs much updating to include the new class of antibiabetic medications such as GLP1s and SGLT2s.

The book lists calcitonin as the one drug to treat osteoporosis. There are many additional drugs and should be mentioned.

The endocrine chapter is terribly out of date , especially the antidiabetic section which does not include the newer insulins. It should at least include the newest drugs included as the first step according to the ADA guidelines. The sitagliptin picture is a Russian label. Only 1 DDP4 is mentioned but no GLP1 or SGLT2 classes which are so popular today. Osteoporosis drugs are also not up to date. Missing in the osteoporosis section are Risedronate (Actonel), Ibandronate (Boniva), aintravenous (IV) infusions Zoledronic acid (Reclast).

Denosumab (Prolia, Xgeva) might be used in people who can't take a bisphosphonate, such as some people with reduced kidney function. Students should be able to at least recognize these drugs.

The book is designed so that each chapter has interactive excercises including quizzing, flashcards, and what I feel is most important, critical tining activities. The length of each chapter is digestable and keeps the readers interest interspersed with graphics and tables that summarize the medications presented in each chapter.

It was difficult at first to find the "next" on the bottom right of the page which was in very small print. That could be larger. Using the table of contents was easy but to go fluidly from page to page was difficult at first. Charts and pictures were displayed correctly and were not a distraction.

Tony Guerra who wrote Memorizing Pharmacology uses this book in his podcasts and evidently his classes. His review of the critical thinking excercises from each chapter are really a valuable asset to the book. Pairing the two resources, I have found is an excellent way of covering pharmacology.

The book covers majority of the classifications of medications with a strong emphasis on nursing implications and safe medication administration. It includes action, indication, nursing considerations, adverse effects, patient teaching/education, and a medication grid for each classification. I also like that it includes a chapter on legal and ethical considerations for medication administration.

Each chapter starts with a basic concept overview to help the reader better understand the action of medications. Chapters are organized in the same format and includes the same important information for safe medication administration. A glossary is included at the end of each chapter.

The book has a section dedicated to cultural and social determinates related to medication administration and provides specific examples. The book also provides links to additional resources for the reader to learn more about cultural considerations.