Principals of Clinical Pharmacology

The rate of introduction of new pharmaceutical products has increased rapidly over the past decade,and details learned about a particular drug become obsolete as it is replaced by newer agents. For this reason, we have chosen to focus this book on the principles that underlie the clinical use and contemporary development of pharmaceuticals. It is assumed that the reader will have had an introductory course in pharmacology and also some understanding of calculus, physiology and clinical medicine.
This book is the outgrowth of an evening course that has been taught for the past three years at the NIH Clinical Center. Wherever possible, individuals who have lectured in the course have contributed chapters corresponding to their lectures. The organizers of this course are the editors of this book and we also have recruited additional experts to assist in the review of specific chapters. We also acknowledge the help of William A. Mapes in preparing much of the artwork.