Over the years a number of excellent books have classified and detailed drug drug interactions into their respective categories, e.g. interactions at plasma protein binding sites; those altering intestinal absorption or bioavailability; those involving hepatic metabolising enzymes; those involving competition or antagonism for receptor sites, and drug interactions modifying excretory mechanisms. Such books have presented extensive tables of interactions and their management. Although of considerable value to clinicians, such publica tions have not, however, been so expressive about the individual mechanisms that underlie these interactions. It is within this sphere of "mechanisms" that this present volume specialises. It deals with mechanisms of in vitro and in vivo, drug-drug, drug food and drug-herbals interactions and those that cause drugs to interfere with diagnostic laboratory tests. We believe that an explanation of the mechanisms of such interactions will enable practitioners to understand more fully the nature of the interactions and thus enable them to manage better their clinical outcome. If mechanisms of interactions are better understood, then it may be pos sible for the researcher to develop meaningful animal/biochemical/tissue cul ture or physicochemical models to which new molecules could be exposed during their development stages. The present position, which largely relies on patients experiencing adverse interactions before they can be established or documented, can hardly be regarded as satisfactory. This present volume is classified into two major parts; firstly, pharmacoki netic drug interactions and, secondly, pharmacodynamic drug interactions.

This book illustrates, in a comprehensive manner, the most crucial principles involved in pharmacology and allied sciences. The title begins by discussing the historical aspects of drug discovery, with up to date knowledge on Nobel Laureates in pharmacology and their significant discoveries. It then examines the general pharmacological principles - pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with in-depth information on drug transporters and interactions. In the remaining chapters, the book covers a definitive collection of topics containing essential information on the basic principles of pharmacology and how they are employed for the treatment of diseases. Readers will learn about special topics in pharmacology that are hard to find elsewhere, including issues related to environmental toxicology and the latest information on drug poisoning and treatment, analytical toxicology, toxicovigilance, and the use of molecular biology techniques in pharmacology. The book offers a valuable resource for researchers in the fields of pharmacology and toxicology, as well as students pursuing a degree in or with an interest in pharmacology.

Today we witness an eventful time in which the powerful new forces of genomics, information technology and economics are rapidly changing the science and art of medicine. This will require more specialization than ever before. However, there is also an increasing demand for an integrated approach, which is provided by the discipline of Clinical Pharmacology (CP). CP pursues a scientific goal by studying drug action in patients and volunteers, a clinical goal by administering appropriate drug therapy and a regulatory goal by assessing the risk/benefit ratio of drug candidates in drug development and reimbursement. This introduction to current topics of CP covers traditional topics of clinical drug research and trial methodology but also provides insight in current topics like genomics, imaging technology and issues in drug reimbursement. A number of concrete case studies in clinical drug research and development help to give a better understanding of the general principles of CP.

A concise compilation of the known interactions of the most commonly prescribed drugs, as well as their interaction with nonprescription compounds. The agents covered include CNS drugs, cardiovascular drugs, antibiotics, and NSAIDs. For each class of drugs the authors review the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, chemistry, metabolism, epidemiological occurrences, adverse reactions, and significant interactions. Environmental and social pharmacological issues are also addressed in chapters on food and alcohol drug interactions, nicotine and tobacco, and anabolic doping agents. Comprehensive and easy-to-use, Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide provides physicians with all the information needed to avoid prescribing drugs with undesirable interactions, and toxicologists with all the data necessary to interpret possible interactions between drugs found simultaneously in patient samples.

The revised and up-to-date third edition of Drug Interactions in Infectious Diseases delivers a text that will enhance your clinical knowledge of the complex mechanisms, risks, and consequences of drug interactions associated with antimicrobials, infection, and inflammation. The third edition features five new chapters that cover material not addressed in previous editions. These new chapters describe interactions with a number of drug classes such as non-HIV antiviral, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antihelmintic, macrolide, azalide and ketolide agents. A novel chapter on probe cocktail studies has been included to highlight an important research tool for drug development. These chapters address material that cannot be retrieved easily in the medical literature. The highly acclaimed food-drug interactions as well as the study design and analysis chapters remain definitive references. The newly written drug-cytokine interaction highlights the need for our improved understanding of the complex interrelationship of acute infection, inflammation, and the risk of drug interactions. Informative tables on specific drug-drug interactions are provided throughout the chapters as a quick clinical resource. The Third Edition of Drug Interactions in Infectious Diseases is a distillation of relevant drug interactions associated with antimicrobials, infection, and inflammation. This concise review of the mechanisms and strategies to manage drug interactions should be valuable to all health care practitioners. Features • Definitive reference source of up-to-date information on antimicrobial drug interactions • Informative tables on the degree of interaction for specific antimicrobial agents • In-depth discussion of mechanisms and potential mechanistic pathways of interaction • New chapters on non-HIV antiviral, antimalarial, antiparasitic, and macrolide, azalide and ketolide agents • New chapter on probe-cocktail studies as a research tool to study drug-drug interactions • Inclusion of new antimicrobial agents and their associated drug interactions • First rate chapters on study design and analysis, and drug-food interactions • A fresh perspective on drug-cytokine interactions • Authoritative chapter on regulatory considerations of drug interactions during drug development