In both primary and secondary health care, the use of medicines is the most common intervention. However, the use of medicines is not without risk. Selecting and prescribing drugs is increasingly complex and demanding, and it is undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary process that involves pharmacists, some of whom are now prescribers in their own right, along with doctors, nurses and other members of the healthcare team. All must strive to promote safe, appropriate and cost-effective prescribing that respects patient choice and promotes adherence. This book was written to help the reader understand and address many of these issues. It is unashamedly written from a pharmacy perspective, although we do hope those from other disciplines will also ind it of use. We have made considerable effort to update each chapter and ensure the content is relevant to current practice.
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