Customer Reviews

Physician's Desk Reference 1998

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I heard it on the news, and I read it in a weekly news magazine, so I guess it's true. A study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that adverse reactions to prescription drugs may rank between the 4th and 6th leading cause of death in the U. S., for a total of over 100,000 deaths a year. Perhaps familiarity with the annual Physicians' Desk Reference, or PDR, can help lower this alarming death toll. If you're a medical practicioner, you are well aware that the PDR has been universally recognized for over fifty years as the premier authority on prescription medicines and their effects, and you probably have the latest edition right at your fingertips. The publisher guarantees PDR's information to be comprehensive, authoritative (FDA approved information), up-to-date, and easy to use. However, non-medical professionals take heed - as with any comprehensive reference tool, ease of use comes with learning how the information is arranged, and then spending time actually using the various sections. Be prepared to familiarize yourself with the Manufacturers' Index, the Brand and Generic Name Index, the Product Category Index, the Product Identification Guide, and the Product Information section. This last is the main section of the PDR and contains entries for over 2,200 pharmaceuticals. Oh, yes, these are alphabetical by manufacturer. I must admit my favorite section is the Product Id Guide, again by manufacturer, with its full-color, actual- size photos of tablets and capsules, plus pictures of other dosage forms and packages. The information is all here. You know that drugs are powerful substances, that your response to any one drug may be unpredictable, and that knowledge is power. If lack of shelf space, continued currency, and PDR's $74.95 price tag is holding you back, I sympathize. Remember there is an excellent chance that your local public library has the latest PDR in its medical reference section, plus a trained reference librarian to help you find just the pages you need!

this book isabsolutely necessary to every physicia

An excellent but expensive reference book... But I did find one at a second hand bookstore for $15. What a deal!! No Paramedic student can afford not to have a copy.