If ever I “retire,” I would like to conduct my post-retirement life in the same way as Dr. Plumb. After his retirement from the University of Minnesota, Veterinary Medical Center, he has devoted himself to providing the veterinary profession with up-to-date veterinary pharmaceutical information – full time. What a mission! The 7th Edition of Plumb’s Veterinary Drug Handbook is a huge find in a little package, a compilation of the work of five contributors under the supervision of Dr. Plumb and an associate editor. Unlike the previous handbook which measured 11 x 8.5 inches, this book measures 8 x 5 inches and can “almost” be carried in a lab coat pocket. Other physical considerations to this book include an additional 447 pages for a total of 1567 pages; the change partly due to additional entries and the change of page size.
Contributing to the increased number of pages, there are 20 new drug entries including several new ophthalmic and topical preparations (i.e. dermatological). Additionally as a sign of progress, seven drugs were retired (no longer on the market). Additionally, two categories were removed: Chemotherapeutics and Therapeutic Diets. These categories were removed due to the fast pace at which they change due to continuing research and development.
The individual monographs are indexed in colored boxes by chemical name followed by the trade name and highlights of interest to the prescriber. Once the reader finds the drug of choice, subheadings abound and allow for quick reference. These subheadings include: Use/Induction, Pharmacology/Actions, Pharmacokinetics, Contraindications/Precautions/Warnings, Adverse Effects, and Reproductive/Nursing Safety, Over-dosage/Acute Toxicity, Drug Interactions, Laboratory Considerations, Doses, Monitoring, Client Information, Chemistry/Synonyms, Storage/Stability, Compatibility/Compounding Considerations, Dosage Forms/Regulatory Status and References. The referencing of each entry is quite helpful especially to veterinary technician educators as well as technician students seeking further information on a particular drug.
For this reason, I feel this book is a solid 5 in terms of rankings and has kept up the standard of the past six editions. Veterinarians will find this book every bit as useful, if not a replacement for current pharmacological texts. Students and educators of veterinary science and technology will no doubt refer to this book throughout the educational process. The practicing veterinary technician who purchases this book can expect to start out with a nice looking book; but by the end of the first year of ownership will possess a well-handled, dog-eared, ragged copy - a testament to continued and frequent usage. No doubt everyone who uses this book will be happily anticipating many future editions.
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell (2011)
ISBN #: 978-0-4709-5965-7