Florence (pharmaceutics, U. of London, UK) advocates for the deeper understanding and more active use of the fundamentals of pharmaceutics in clinical practice in order to anticipate and positively affect patient outcomes. Written for undergraduate and graduate pharmacy students as well as new practitioners, this primer assumes a familiarity with the basics of pharmaceuticals. It includes a discussion of basic dosage forms and excipients, chemistry and delivery systems in formulations, and potential adverse outcomes. Case studies and current literature are used to illustrate pharmaceutic principles, accompanied by extensive diagrams and reference notes. Additional chapters consider particular questions related to geriatric and pediatric medicine; the relative equivalence of generic drugs to their name brand originators; and the issue of emerging therapeutics, including nanotechnology, cell-based delivery, and gene therapy. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)