Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition, Revised and Updated (Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition) [Paperback]

Richard J. Hamilton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0763774197 | ISBN-13: 978-0763774196 | Publication Date: February 13, 2009 | Edition: 23

Updated fully for 2009, the Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition continues the high-quality tradition of a convenient, organized, and concise pocket manual packed with vital drug information and meticulously peer-reviewed by experts and clinicians of multiple specialties. It details typical drug dosing, available trade and generic formulations, metabolism, safety in pregnancy, and lactation, relative drug pricing information, Canadian trade names, and an herbal & alternative therapies section. Multiple tables supplement the drug content, including opioid equivalency, emergency drug infusions, cardiac dysrhythmia protocols, pediatric drug dosing, and much more!

Product Details

• Paperback: 177 pages
• Publisher: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.; 23 edition (February 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763774197
• ISBN-13: 978-0763774196
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 3.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #428,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gem of a Book!, March 5, 2009

By 

Sherry Roth "PA-C, DF-AAPA, CMT, AHDI-F" (Coral Springs FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition, Revised and Updated (Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition) (Paperback)

If you need a "drug book," this book is HANDS DOWN the best book for any money. It's small--pocket-sized, in fact--but PACKED with information. It is updated yearly. The editor is an MD, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine (Drexel U), who obviously knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Drugs are organized by category (e.g. Antibiotics, Analgesics, etc), and then all the most important information is provided, including generic/brand name(s), uses, formulations, dosing, metabolism, relative cost and safety information (e.g. use in pregnancy). There are numerous useful tables throughout the book. At the end, there is an alphabetic index, where brand names are conveniently italicized for quick differentiation from generic names. There's also a blank page or two for notes (good for adding in your own, as new drugs come on the market).
I have been buying and using this book since 1993, and although I used to pay about $8, I still think it's a steal at about $12. The PDR is good for holding doors open or seating little kids at a table. THIS is the book you will carry with you and USE. NO advertising, NO filler. And a little surprise for trivia junkies...every book has a riddle that can snag you a free book the following year if you're among the first to answer it correctly! Are you still reading this? What are you waiting for? GO BUY THE BOOK!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good resource, but lacks some needed features, September 9, 2009

By 

Kendall D. Wagner "Dr Wagner" (Little Rock, Arkansas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009 Deluxe Lab-Coat Pocket Edition (Paperback)

This is a great point of care resource for dosage forms and quick dosage reference. The index is a little difficult to use because it refrences several pages and you have to hunt for the specific drug listing you are looking for. There is no info on mechanism of action, common side effects, or pharmacokinetics. If you need a complete resource I recommend one of the electronic pharmacopedias like Epocrates, but if you do not want to be tied to your PDA, this is a good option. Be sure to have a computer handy if you need to check on interactions or action, because this source will not provide this information.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EMTs and Paramedics: Add this gem to your pocket., May 28, 2009

By 

Tumbleweed 'Medic (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2009: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition, Revised and Updated (Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia: Classic Shirt-Pocket Edition) (Paperback)

As a Paramedic in a busy 911 system, this is one of two pocket books I'll always carry. Although it appears to be better suited as an in-hospital quick reference and does not detail the medications like a standard drug reference, it will list a lot of those less common medications our patients take that our standard EMS field books may not list. I really didn't like this book when it was given to me by a good friend (an RN) at first, but now as I've learned more about our multi-medical-train-wreck-potential patients, I won't part with it.

Last week, this little gem helped me to properly identify a less-known beta blocker that was masking her hyperglycemic symptoms: (DM (type 1) pt complained of abdominal pain. Her BGL was 28 mg/dL, and she was alert and oriented x 4, no hypoglycemic symptoms at all! But, one too many beta blockers and... ;-))

There are also some useful tables interspersed in the book that do come in handy; it's a good idea to flag them in some way though, as they are not all grouped into one place in the book and so not easy to find in a moment's notice.

My only complaint: While the book is a good size to fit into your large or small pocket EMS pants, I've already bought three of the 2009 editions this year as they do not survive the washer or contamination, unlike some of the coated-paged EMS field books. If your bloody trauma soaks your pant leg on scene, your Tarascon book is doomed. And we all know how we're *supposed* to take a minute when we arrive on scene to put on those protective gowns and *then* address the needs of our level one trauma patient while he waits, bleeding on the highway {insert a sarcastic grin}. Right. Now, this book does fit nicely into a red biohazard bag when in your pocket; you just get some strange looks by your partner when you pull it out the first few times. ;-)

Seriously, this book is a deal for those EMTs and Paramedics who want to consider all aspects of their patient's presentation and treat appropriately instead of just "haul the call".