In its updated Fourth Edition, this text presents essential pharmacology concepts in a streamlined, user-friendly fashion. Organized by body system, the book explains the rationale for each drug class' therapeutic actions, contraindications, and adverse effects. Each chapter opens with learning objectives and ends with NCLEX[registered]-style and other questions. Illustrations, tables, side bars, and boxes summarize concepts and focus attention on critical thinking, patient safety, evidence-based practice, lifespan issues, patient teaching, and case study-based critical thinking exercises. A bound-in CD-ROM contains over 700 patient teaching printouts, Canadian drug regulations, a video on medication administration, NCLEX[registered]-style questions, and additional learning tools.