Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “If you can't explain it
simply, you don't understand it well enough.” Provision of good
medical care is anything but simple. The decision of which pharmacotherapy
to employ in the course of patient care is one of many complex decisions to
be made. The clinician must simultaneously consider a multitude of
variables. What are the possible benefits of the drug treatment options
relative to the risk for the patient presented by this disease? What does
the evidence say about which treatment should be used? How does the patient's
age, gender, race, or comorbid diseases affect the choice of
pharmacotherapy? What possible harm could this medicine bring to my patient?
Are there any interactions with medicines this patient is already taking?
Will cost of the medication be a barrier?
We
developed this pharmacotherapy reference with Einstein's words in mind.
The exclusive use of tables and algorithms provides a structure to display
many complex variables in one place. We focused on including information
that is routinely clinically relevant to produce a reference that, while not
comprehensive, is high yield. Inside you will find answers to many of the
questions posed above and some clinical pearls weaved in along the way. We
hope this reference helps you provide the best care for your patients. Any
feedback to improve future editions is most welcome.
Chris and Bob, editors