ABSTRACT
This chapter explores new and emerging developments within pharmacology and care that have the potential to impact on the way nurses administer medicines and work with patients in the future. There is much current media interest in ill-health related to modern lifestyles, such as alcohol consumption, the use of recreational drugs and overeating and obesity. Body mass index (BMI) is a method used to assess the degree of obesity. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has produced clinical guidelines relating to obesity. Orlistat helps people who have a high fat intake. Sibutramine helps people who cannot control their eating. It is a centrally acting appetite suppressant originally developed as an antidepressant. Some of the most recent drug developments have been related to the way we administer medicine's rather than the development of new drugs as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Most adverse drug reactions (ADR's) are caused by genetic variations in the way that individuals metabolise drugs.
