Book Review
Psychopharmacology 
Essential Psychopharmacology: The Prescriber’s Guide Stephen M Stahl, New York (NY): Cambridge University Press; 2005.
571 p. US$50.00.
Reviewer
rating*: Good
Review by: Yvon D LaPierre, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Ottawa, Ontario
This book is different from the usual reading material that comes to us every year. Although it is not a relaxing read, it could be a valuable tool for practitioners who need easy and rapid access to information on psychopharmacotherapy. It is a practitioners’guide in which the essential characteristics, uses, limitations, and wanted and unwanted actions of each drug are given. It can be viewed as a user-friendly Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (see www.pharmacists.ca/index.cfm) for psychiatrists.
The Guide has 3 parts. The first is an introduction, the second is the main body, and the third consists of the indices and glossaries. The Table of Contents lists the 101 psychotropic drugs detailed in the main body. It is essential to read the “Introduction” to learn how to use the book. The author forewarns the reader of the Guide’s limitations and invites feedback on how to improve it. Users must become familiar with the color coding of the information and the icons that serve as guides. Fortunately, they are simple and illustrate well what they are meant to represent.
The Guide’s basic approach is practical and applied. The author offers some guidance on how to best initiate treatment, reach optimum dosage, and then monitor and adjust the course as treatment progresses. Suggestions are generally evidence-based and supplemented by clinical experiences.
Indications and contraindications are clearly presented with additional guidance on their absolute and relative values.
For each drug discussed, a helpful section addresses special populations. These sections generally deal with specific medical conditions and variations for children, for the elderly, and for pregnant and breast-feeding women.
Another novel, seldom-seen inclusion is a section on the “Art of Psychopharmacology.” This speaks to unusual and often-untested practices that are based on the clinical experiences of many authors and practitioners. This section also includes pointers that address much of the sometimes falsely established clinical myths and folklore.
The book’s third part comprises the indices, of which there are 3 major ones that facilitate access to information on a specific agent. The first lists drugs by name. The search for a drug may be initiated by its generic name or by one of the many international trade names. A second index lists drugs by use. The uses reflect the literature and are not limited to FDA-approved uses; these, however, are highlighted to make users aware of them. The third index lists drugs by treatment groupings or class. Interestingly, a specific drug is listed according to all the treatment functions it has, as either a primary or an adjunct application. For example, clonazepam is indexed under anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, and mood stabilizers (adjunct).
The fourth index is a reference for deciphering the abbreviations used in the main body. Finally, the last reference is the FDA table of psychotropic drugs’ relative risk when used during pregnancy.
In short, this book is a handy desktop guide to the use of psychotropic agents in clinical practice. It is well designed and achieves its objective. Stephen Stahl is a well-qualified and respected clinical investigator in psycho pharmacotherapy. The Guide’s organization reflects his experience. The information that clinicians need in daily practice is easily accessed and presented clearly and succinctly.
I recommend the Guide as an excellent and easy-to-read reference for practitioners who may be seeking an improved comfort zone with psychotropic drugs.
*Reviewer
Rating Scale/ Échelle d’évaluation du réviseur
Excellent / Excellent
Very Good / Très bon
Good / Bon
Fair / Passable
Not recommended / Pas recommandé
|
