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Director, Clinical Research and Evaluation Facility, Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York.
Published Online, April 5, 2005. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1G053
Purpose: Arranged encyclopedically, the book is intended to be a clinically relevant guide to the medication armamentarium used for the treatment of a wide range of mental disorders.
Content: Although the Prescriber's Guide serves as a companion volume to Dr. Stahl's well-received didactic textbook titled Essential Psychopharmacology, it can stand alone as a useful reference for the clinician who needs to look up a medication quickly and review a summary of how to best prescribe it. Easily digestible descriptions of 101 of the most commonly used psychotropic medications are included, as well as indices by drug name (brand, generic), use, and class. It also contains a list of abbreviations and a list of Food and Drug Administration use-inpregnancy ratings. Clever iconic illustrations are used throughout, which are explained right after the introduction. Each medication entry takes up 3–6 attractively typeset pages and is divided into several color-coded subsections: "Therapeutics," "Side Effects," "Dosing and Use," "Special Populations," and "The Art of Psychopharmacology." The information is presented in bulleted form and is geared toward being clinically relevant—the therapeutics section is subdivided into subsections such as "How Long Until It Works," what to do for follow-up "If It Works," and offering advice "If It Doesn't Work." Adverse effects are well described and, instead of a laundry list, Dr. Stahl presents what the clinician ought to be looking for—this is not your father's PDR (Physician's Desk Reference)! The clinical tips and pearls that are found in each entry are invaluable—not only are dosing guidelines provided, but also the author's educated and respected opinion regarding potential advantages and disadvantages of each drug. This opinion is supported by a reference list that the reader can follow up with. The book reinforces what may have been learned in one of the author's many educational programs or through his principal textbook, as there is a section on "How the Drug Works" that summarizes the mechanisms of action of each agent. Information on preferred augmentation/combination agents for partial responders or how to reduce adverse effects is described for each medication as well.
Usability: The volume is current, with references as late as 2004. The newer agents are included, such as all currently available second-generation antipsychotics and the new agents for attention deficit disorder and major depressive disorder. The "parent" textbook, Essential Psychopharmacology (currently in its second edition but being revised), is also helpful to own, but the Prescriber's Guide can certainly stand alone. Well worth the list price of $50, it can be found online for $36.37, making it a real bargain.
Highlights: The book's major strength is its readability and user friendliness. The art of psychopharmacology is finally given the space it deserves. Comparison with Other Related Books: Among the competition, one book comes close to the high standard of the volume reviewed, Dr. Joseph's Symptom-Focused Psychiatric Drug Therapy for Managed Care (Haworth Press, 1997), which also touched upon the art of psychiatry. The latest edition of Bezchlibnyk-Butler and Jeffries' Clinical Handbook of Psychotropic Drugs (Hogrefe & Huber, 2004) is a nice collection of tables, but is not nearly as useful as a treatment guide for the optimization of clinical care.
Reviewer's Summary: This guidebook is an excellent source of information for the art of prescribing psychotropic medications and belongs in every clinician's library.
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