Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers, 1st Edition Leah Christensen Luu

Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers, First Edition, edited by Leah Christensen Luu, Larry Kayingo, and Yasmin Hassoun, is the definitive, contemporary pharmacology textbook purpose-built for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants/associates (PAs) who will independently prescribe medications across the lifespan. Unlike traditional pharmacology texts written primarily for pharmacists or medical students, this groundbreaking resource is written by prescribers for prescribers, placing clinical decision-making, therapeutic reasoning, and patient-centered prescribing at the very heart of every chapter. Published by Springer Publishing Company and scheduled for release in early 2026, this first-edition text immediately establishes itself as the new gold standard for graduate-level pharmacotherapeutics education in nurse practitioner (DNP, MSN-to-DNP, post-master’s certificate) and physician assistant programs. The editors—renowned clinician-educators with decades of combined experience as practicing NPs, PAs, and clinical pharmacists—have assembled more than 80 expert contributors who are actively prescribing in primary care, acute care, specialty practices, and underserved communities. The result is a textbook that feels alive with real-world prescribing wisdom rather than abstract theory. Why This Textbook Is Different Most pharmacology textbooks overwhelm students with exhaustive lists of adverse effects and rarely used drugs. Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers flips that paradigm. Every drug class and exemplar medication is presented through the lens of “What do I actually need to know to prescribe this safely and effectively tomorrow in clinic?” The authors emphasize: Prescriptive authority and legal/ethical considerations by state and practice setting Evidence-based selection of first-line, second-line, and alternative agents Cost-effective prescribing and insurance formulary navigation Cultural, socioeconomic, and health-literacy considerations in medication counseling Polypharmacy risk reduction and deprescribing strategies, especially in older adults Integration of pharmacogenomics when it meaningfully changes prescribing decisions Management of complex, multimorbid patients commonly seen in primary and urgent care Comprehensive, Yet Clinically Focused Organization The text is organized into 48 digestible chapters across eight major sections, allowing faculty to align content with either a systems-based or population-based curriculum. Section I: Foundations of Prescriptive Practice Principles of clinical pharmacology for prescribers Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics with direct clinical application Pharmacogenomics every prescriber must know (CYP450 interactions, warfarin, clopidogrel, codeine, etc.) Legal, regulatory, and ethical aspects of controlled substance prescribing Prescription writing, monitoring parameters, and documentation standards Section II–VII: Drug Classes by Therapeutic Use & Body System Each chapter follows a consistent, intuitive template that students and faculty praise as “immediately usable in clinic”: Chapter Overview & Learning Objectives Pathophysiology “mini-review” (just enough to understand why we treat) Drug Class Overview with comparative tables (onset, cost, monitoring, key counseling points) First-Line and Alternative Agents with level-of-evidence ratings Prescribing Pearls & Red Flags (the “don’t miss this” boxes that become lifelong references) Special Populations (pediatrics, pregnancy/lactation with LactMed integration, geriatrics, renal/hepatic impairment) Patient Education & Adherence Strategies (ready-to-use counseling language) Case Studies (3–5 real-world cases per chapter with prescribing rationale and follow-up) Board-style review questions (NP and PA certification exam alignment) Major therapeutic sections include: Cardiovascular disorders (hypertension, heart failure, dyslipidemia, anticoagulation, antiplatelet therapy) Endocrine disorders (diabetes, thyroid, adrenal, osteoporosis) Neuropsychiatric conditions (depression, anxiety, ADHD, insomnia, bipolar, schizophrenia) Pain management and opioid stewardship (acute, chronic, and cancer pain; opioid use disorder treatment) Infectious diseases (community-acquired pneumonia, UTI, skin/soft tissue, STIs, tuberculosis, HIV PrEP/PEP) Respiratory disorders (asthma, COPD, allergic rhinitis) Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders Rheumatology and immunology (RA, gout, lupus, biologics) Dermatology (acne, rosacea, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis) Women’s health (contraception, HRT, osteoporosis) Men’s health and urologic conditions Eye, ear, nose, and throat disorders Oncology supportive care and common oral oncolytics Section VIII: Contemporary and Emerging Topics Lifestyle and integrative therapies (evidence for supplements, cannabis/cannabinoids, probiotics) Immunizations and travel medicine for prescribers Telehealth prescribing and digital health tools Quality improvement and population health approaches to pharmacotherapy Student- and Faculty-Friendly Features More than 250 full-color illustrations, algorithms, and decision trees Over 400 comparative drug tables (the most requested feature from beta testers) “Prescribing in Practice” call-out boxes written by currently practicing NPs and PAs Chapter-ending “Top 10 Take-Home Points” for rapid review Online toolkit for faculty: PowerPoint slides, test bank with 1,000+ questions, image bank, sample syllabi Alignment with Certification and Practice Content is meticulously mapped to: American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) FNP, AGPCNP, PMHNP, and ENP certification blueprints National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) PANCE/PANRE content blueprint NONPF and AACN DNP Essentials pharmacotherapeutics competencies Current (2024–2025) clinical guidelines from ACC/AHA, ADA, ATS/ERS, IDSA, USPSTF, CDC, ACOG, NAMS, and others Perfect for Multiple Learning Environments Whether your program uses a traditional semester system, accelerated BSN-to-DNP track, hybrid/online delivery, or PA didactic curriculum, the modular chapter design and consistent pedagogy allow seamless integration. Clinical preceptors report using the book as a quick reference during preceptorship, and many graduates keep it on their desk as their “go-to prescribing bible” long after graduation. About the Editors Leah Christensen Luu, PhD, MSN, FNP-C is Associate Professor and Director of the DNP program at a leading West Coast university, with 20+ years of primary care and urgent care prescribing experience. Larry Kayingo, PhD, PA-C, DFAAPA is Executive Director of the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy and former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Physician Assistant Education. Yasmin Hassoun, PharmD, BCACP is a board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist who bridges pharmacy and prescriber education at a large academic medical center. Together they have taught pharmacotherapeutics to thousands of NP and PA students and identified the exact gaps this textbook now fills. Early Reviewer Praise “This is the pharmacology textbook I wish I had in school. Finally, a book that teaches you how to think like a prescriber instead of memorize endless drug lists.” – Sarah K., DNP student “I’ve been teaching pharmacotherapeutics for 15 years. This will be my new required text starting next semester—no question.” – Dr. Maria R., PMHNP program director “The case studies and prescribing pearls are worth the price of the book alone. My students are already asking when they can pre-order.” – Jason T., PA program clinical coordinator Ideal For Family, Adult-Gerontology, Psychiatric-Mental Health, Emergency, and Pediatric NP students Physician Assistant students in accredited ARC-PA programs Post-graduate fellowship and residency programs for NPs and PAs Clinicians preparing for certification or recertification examinations Practicing APRNs and PAs seeking an up-to-date, evidence-based reference Pre-order now and secure the inaugural printing of what is already being called “the Leah & Kayingo” by early adopters—the textbook destined to sit next to your stethoscope for the entirety of your prescribing career. Advanced Pharmacology for Prescribers, 1st Edition—because safe, effective, confident prescribing begins here.