64 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A nice psychopharm review, with some caveats, August 24, 2007
This review is from: Clinical Psychopharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple (Paperback)
I'm a second year psychiatry resident who teaches medical students as well as sees patients. Like everyone else in my class, my 1st experience with this series was the excellent Clinical Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple. Unlike that book, this one is not filled with funny pictures to help you remember the different medications. However, this book does give an excellent basic review of clinical psychopharmacology. I especially like the sections on "what to tell patients". I also like the way that it highlights the major mistakes that physicians make that might lead to treatment failure. The chapters are easily digestible and not overwhelming with lists of side effects like some other psychopharm references.
On the other hand, though I realize that this is a pharmacology reference, I find that the book is far too basic in its attempt to summarize the major psychiatric disorders prior to discussing the pharmacotherapy. For example, in distinguishing schizophreniform disorder from schizophrenia, there is no mention of the 6 month time frame required to diagnose schizophrenia. This might lead to confusion if the reader relied solely on this book for information. Another issue, is that the authors rarely explain the mechanism of action of the medications - this would be very important to medical students studying for their exams. Additionally, I am concerned about the very limited place that psychotherapy has in the treatment algorithms outlined in the book. For example, in the algorithm of treatment resistant depression, a course of psychotherapy would generally be considered for a patient who has failed one trial of an antidepressant, yet doesn't even show up on the algorithm at all. Finally, one thing that I like about Stahl's excellent "Essential Psychopharmacology: the Prescriber's Guide" that is missing here is that Stahl explains each individual medication's little niche. From this book, it's not really clear why one might choose one SSRI over another.
Despite the above mentioned issues, I think this book is a great quick and easy read and even seasoned professionals will get something out of it!
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51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Primer for Medical Students, May 7, 2000
By A Customer
I teach at a medical school and have found this text to be excellent for both our medical students and residents. Up-to-date and a quick and easy read. Great charts/algorithms.
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38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clear,helpful, "just the facts, mam", November 17, 1998
By A Customer
A very practical review, packed with numerous charts and tables. Up-to-date. The most straightforward guide to psychopharmacology.
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