Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia, 2008 Deluxe Lab-coat Pocket Edition by Steven M. Green

Synopsis

Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia, 2008 Deluxe Lab-Coat Pocket Edition continues the high-quality tradition of a convenient and organized pocket manual detailing typical drug dosing (both FDA approved and off-label uses), available trade and generic formulations, metabolism, Canadian drug names, relative pricing information, and safety in pregnancy and lactation. The Deluxe takes it all a step further by including additional drugs and dosing indications, black-box warnings, notes regarding adverse effects and drug interactions, and a table of cytochrome P450 isozymes. Packed with this expanded information and more tables than the Classic, the Deluxe is still small enough to comfortably fit in your labcoat pocket. As with the Classic, all entries are meticulously peer-reviewed by drug information experts and clinicians of multiple specialties.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Vincent F Carr, DO, MSA, FACC, FACP(Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences)
Description:This fact-intense, barebones book captures much of what is in medication package inserts, but also has many additional practical facts. There are many very useful tables, such as drugs that prolong qt intervals; drugs that affect and are affected by the P450 cytochrome system; and comparing steroid preparations that are extremely helpful. The book is updated yearly to maintain current. It also is available in a deluxe lab-coat pocket version, a smaller, less information packed classic shirt-pocket version, and a PDA version.
Purpose:There is no preface, but its long publication history and the format make one unnecessary. The book does include a disclaimer which is honest, sincere, and mentions "good karma" which is also a necessary component of medical practice at times.
Audience:This is a book for everyone. Available in three versions, readers may choose which edition is most helpful to them. The authors do an extremely good job of keeping the book current.
Features:In addition to the very useful tables, there are numerous summary notes with every class of drugs, cost estimations, U.S. and Canadian trade names, and a very complete index. Of particular note are the cross-references, e.g. the warnings of nitrates and the use of erectile dysfunction medications are listed under both drug classes. A complete section covers herbals and some very practical information such as what is in a "banana-bag."
Assessment:This is one of the classics that many practitioners have learned torely on over the years. This year's version has kept to the tradition extremely well. Recognizing that medicine is in fast transition, the yearly version is well worth purchasing to stay current. The authors and editors clearly work diligently to maintain the currency. The plastic cover of this version is very practical. I recommend this wholeheartedly to everyone in medicine.