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| BOOK REVIEW |
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| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 46
| Issue : 5 | Page : 567 |
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Precise practical pharmacology for undergraduate medical students
Ram K Dikshit
Department of Pharmacology, GCS Medical College, Opp DRM Office, Naroda Road, Ahmedabad - 380 025,Gujarat, India
| Date of Web Publication | 11-Sep-2014 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr Ram K Dikshit
Department of Pharmacology, GCS Medical College, Opp DRM Office, Naroda Road, Ahmedabad - 380 025,Gujarat
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
Dikshit RK. Precise practical pharmacology for undergraduate medical students
. Indian J Pharmacol 2014;46:567 |
 Avijit Hazra, Nirmala N. Rege
Publisher: Wiley India Pvt Ltd.,
Edition: 1 st Edition, 2014
pp: 247
ISBN: 978-81-265-4593-3
It is said that pharmacology in medical colleges can have only one objective and that is to create the good prescribers. Unfortunately, our practical curriculum has not been commensurate with this. After a lengthy brainstorm, several centers in the country began to reform about 10-15 years ago. As a result, several new exercises have replaced the conventional items (like dispensing pharmacy and experimental pharmacology). Some of these 'new' exercises are already being employed successfully at many places for the last several years (e.g. sources of drug information, adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting, prescription writing and criticism, 'P' drug, evaluation of fixed dose combinations and drug promotional literature, dosage calculation and setting up the infusions etc). While quite a few ('suggested' or 'draft') manuals exist for the 'conventional' system, not much is visible on 'new' (or 'reformed') set of exercises. This book is a significant attempt in that direction.
The book has 13 chapters with each one of them dealing with a distinct set of exercise. Some of the exercises listed above are included. Additional inclusions are therapeutic drug monitoring, therapeutic adherence and counseling and therapeutic problems. There are some notable omissions too e.g. 'P' drug. Each of the chapters is self-contained, complete and reasonably structured. A nice get up coupled with a large number of line diagrams, graphs and tables make the reading easier. Mini-atlases on ADRs, nomograms and newer drug delivery devices along with other annexures enhance the utility of the book.
With 247 pages, the book appears to be somewhat lengthy. In fact, at some places too much of theory may confuse the readers if it is a (mini) textbook or a (suggested) practical manual. The practical manuals need to be crisp, concise and compact. Additionally, a practical 'point of view' has to be there throughout the write up. At certain places, a few more exercises could be easily added in this book like filling up the report form in chapter on ADRs, clubbing the exercises on possible drug interactions with the concerned chapter (and not in annexure) and critical evaluation of the actual or hypothetical advertisements. The chapter on experimental pharmacology data seems to be out of place.
The book is useful in the sense that it provides an adequate startup material to someone who wishes to make our practical exercises to be meaningful. The Medical Council of India (MCI) thankfully allows us a free hand to formulate our own curriculum with a strong emphasis on clinical/applied pharmacology. This opens up an endless opportunity to improvise. Readers must remember that no list is final and new exercises can always be added up.
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