Symptoms in the Pharmacy: A Guide to the Management of Common Illness, 6th edition

**A practical and evidence-based guide for student, pre-registration and qualified pharmacists**__**Symptoms in the Pharmacy**__ is an indispensable guide to the management of common symptoms seen in the pharmacy. With advice from an author team that includes both pharmacists and GPs, the book covers ailments which will be encountered in the pharmacy on a daily basis. Now in its sixth edition **__Symptoms in the Pharmacy__** has been fully revised to reflect the latest evidence and availability of new medicines. There are new sections and case studies for 'POM' to 'P' switches including chloramphenicol, sumatriptan, diclofenac, naproxen and amorolfine. This edition features colour photographs of skin conditions for the first time enabling the differentiation and diagnosis of common complaints. The public health and illness prevention content have been expanded to support this increasingly important aspect of the pharmacist’s work. The book is designed for quick and easy reference with separate chapters for each ailment. Each chapter incorporates a decision making framework in which the information necessary for treatment and suggestions on ‘when to refer’ is distilled into helpful summary boxes. At the end of each chapter there are example case studies providing the view of pharmacists, doctors and patients for most conditions covered. These easy-to-follow- chapters can be read cover to cover or turned to for quick reference. This useful guide should be kept close at hand for frequent consultation.Content:

Symptoms in the Pharmacy presents a guide to the management of common symptoms seen in the pharmacy, with advice from an author team that includes both pharmacists and GPs.

With the continued emphasis on the pharmacist's role as a 'first port of call' in response to symptoms, the need for effective communication and interpersonal skills remains paramount. This book provides the pharmacist with the appropriate techniques for gathering information to meet the needs of patient safety in a way that is acceptable to the public. Case studies and comments from the pharmacist's and doctor's perspective are included throughout.

This is now the fifth edition of Symptoms in the Pharmacy. The text has been fully revised to reflect the latest 'prescription only medicine' to 'pharmacy medicine' switches. Changes in medicine use, cautions and contraindications where recent evidence has shown new safety concerns are also covered. Similarly, where new evidence has shown treatments to be less effective and thus superseded, they have been removed.

Reviewer: A reader from Bradford UK: 8 March, 2001

This book is an excellent guide for either trainee or newly qualified pharmacists. It covers most ailments which may be encountered on a daily basis in the community pharmacy and describes features of more serious underlying disease to aid diagnosis or referral. It is well presented and clearly laid out with separate chapters for each ailment. At the end of each chapter are example case studies giving in summary both the view of a pharmacist and medical doctor for each condition. My only criticism is that there are no illustrations or diagrams which I feel would have been helpful when describing clinical features of some conditions. Nonetheless there are clear descriptions of each ailment, highlighting symptoms, possible causes and most appropriate treatments. Importantly it gives clear guidelines on when to refer presenting ailments to a doctor. It is comparable in style to the title Minor Illness or Major Disease, however this title is illustrated with photographs of illness to aid recognition. A useful guide for all student pharmacists, preregistration pharmacists and possibly newly qualified pharmacists.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Christina Rose, Pharm.D.(Temple University Hospital)
Description:This is the sixth edition of a pharmacists' guide to appropriate treatment recommendations for patients with common problems as well as when to refer them to a physician. The book is organized by symptom or patient complaint and the recommended common remedies are available without a prescription in the United Kingdom. The previous edition was published four years ago.
Purpose:The authors acknowledge both that self-care by patients is an increasing practice and that patients often seek guidance from pharmacists. The purpose of this book is to compile management strategies for common illnesses and complaints that a pharmacist may use as to assist these patients. The authors address the most common illnesses, but could have used a more evidence-based approach to treatment recommendations.
Audience:The authors, professors of pharmacy practice, write the book for pharmacy practitioners in the community setting.
Features:The book reviews treatments available for the most common symptoms/illnesses for which patients seek self-care and discusses what symptoms qualify as severe and require a physician's input. The cough and cold section is very thorough and the discussion on herbal medications is particularly important. The introduction is the most informative section, reviewing the thought process a pharmacist in the community setting must use before making a treatment recommendation for an ill patient. The cases used at the end of each chapter help to emphasize the most important points of each disease. After each case, there is a pharmacist's' view of the management and a doctor's view of the management, although none of the authors are physicians. It would have been better to identify the physician and his/her background. The color photos of the dermatologic complications are a good addition. The biggest weakness of the book is the lack of references, even though the authors state that the recommendations are evidence-based.
Assessment:The objectives of this book are worthy, but the recommendations should be referenced and more information on each drug therapy should be included. More patient counseling points could enhance the usefulness of the book. Without references, it is difficult to determine if another edition was needed.

A practical and evidence-based guide for student, pre-registration and qualified pharmacists "Symptoms in the Pharmacy" is an indispensable guide to the management of common symptoms seen in the pharmacy. With advice from an author team that includes both pharmacists and GPs, the book covers ailments which will be encountered in the pharmacy on a daily basis. Now in its sixth edition "Symptoms in the Pharmacy" has been fully revised to reflect the latest evidence and availability of new medicines. There are new sections and case studies for 'POM' to 'P' switches including chloramphenicol, sumatriptan, diclofenac, naproxen and amorolfine. This edition features colour photographs of skin conditions for the first time enabling the differentiation and diagnosis of common complaints. The public health and illness prevention content have been expanded to support this increasingly important aspect of the pharmacist's work. The book is designed for quick and easy reference with separate chapters for each ailment. Each chapter incorporates a decision making framework in which the information necessary for treatment and suggestions on 'when to refer' is distilled into helpful summary boxes. At the end of each chapter there are example case studies providing the view of pharmacists, doctors and patients for most conditions covered. These easy-to-follow- chapters can be read cover to cover or turned to for quick reference. This useful guide should be kept close at hand for frequent consultation. "Symptoms in the Pharmacy is an indispensable guide to the management of common symptoms seen in the pharmacy. With advice from an author team that includes both pharmacists and a GP, the book covers ailments which will be encountered in the pharmacy on a daily basis." "Now in its sixth edition Symptoms in the Pharmacy has been fully revised to reflect the latest evidence and availability of new medicines. There are new sections and case studies for prescription only medicine to pharmacy medicine (POM to P) switches including chloramphenicol, sumatriptan, diclofenac, naproxen and amorolfine, This edition features colour photographs of skin conditions for the first time enabling the differentiation and diagnosis of common complaints. The public health and illness prevention content have been expanded to support this increasingly important aspect of the pharmacist's work."--Jacket