Mohamad-Ali Salloum is a Pharmacist and science writer. He loves simplifying science to the general public and healthcare students through words and illustrations. When he's not working, you can usually find him in the gym, reading a book, or learning a new skill.
6 references to Master Pharmacology
Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD • May 9, 2022
Share
Pharmacology is the study of medications, and it is divided into two major branches:
- Pharmacodynamics: How medications affect our body.
- Pharmacokinetics: How our body affects the medications.
It can be also branched into many other sub-branches (pharmaco-toxicology, pharmacogenomics, pharmacogenetics, pharmacognosy, pharmaco-economics…..).
At the first glance, it may seem a very hard subject to study, especially when you see the daunting amount of medications that we have to memorize and know their details.
When you start studying it, you will realize it is really hard..no cap.
During my collage days, I realized this early on and wanted to master this hellish subject and pass it.
The advantage of studying from the below references is that you will master pharmacology. The downside is that IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
Here is a list of the references that helped me to understand this subject.
1) Bertram G. Katzung, Marieke Kruidering-Hall, Anthony J. Trevor - Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology Examination and Board Review-McGraw-Hill Education (Edition 13)
In my opinion this is the reference that every healthcare professional (HCP) should start from when studying pharmacology. What makes it special is that it is not too much detailed and at the same time it’s not too much briefed. This will help you to understand Pharmacology without going too deep where a beginner might get confused.
2) Symptoms in the Pharmacy A Guide to the Management of Common Illnesses by Alison Blenkinsopp , Martin Duerden , John Blenkinsopp
This reference is the one you should go for when doing the internship in the community pharmacy. It’s important to do it during the internship since you will be able to associate the cases you are observing in the pharmacy with the information you are studying in the reference.
This will allow you to memorize the information for longer time.
3) Case files. pharmacology by Toy, Eugene C.
This reference contains 56 clinical cases with USMLE-style questions. It will explain pharmacology briefly and will make you revise the chapters that you’ve studied in the previous references and highlight on the main points. It will teach you how to approach clinical problems.
4) Pharmacotherapy Handbook, Eleventh Edition 11th Edition by Terry Schwinghammer
In the previous three references you were studying pharmacology per drug class (opioids, analgesics, anti-inflammatory medications...). In the pharmacotherapy handbook you will understand the management of every disease and what drug what medications to give and WHY.
This reference will talk about a disease and how you will manage it with the most recently approved therapies. While studying you will realize that this handbook is rich in valuable clinical information.
5) Farideh Javid, Janice McCurrie - Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology_ The Essentials (2009, Wiley)
This reference will fill the gaps that were formed in your brain when you were studying pharmacology from the previous references. It will help the student to put the facts that he/she learned before into the deep memory. Testing your knowledge when solving clinical case studies will make you do connections between several chapters because a case study will describe a patient that has several comorbidities and that is taking medications from several classes. This will expose the students brain to more complex situations.
6) Goodman & Gilman Edition 13
This reference is literally a heaven of Information for health care professionals . It will provide you with everything you need to know about Pharmacology from A to Z. However, I don’t recommend to starting studying from it because it will confuse you more than it can benefit you. This reference is more recommended for healthcare professionals that want to go into depth in the chapters.
As a summary:
| Reference | Link |
|---|---|
| 1) Bertram G. Katzung, Marieke Kruidering-Hall, Anthony J. Trevor - Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology Examination and Board Review-McGraw-Hill Education (Edition 13) | Go to Book |
| 2) Symptoms in the Pharmacy A Guide to the Management of Common Illnesses by Alison Blenkinsopp , Martin Duerden , John Blenkinsopp | Go to Book |
| 3) Case files. pharmacology by Toy, Eugene C. | Go to Book |
| 4) Pharmacotherapy Handbook, Eleventh Edition 11th Edition by Terry Schwinghammer | Go to Book |
| 5) Farideh Javid, Janice McCurrie - Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology_ The Essentials (2009, Wiley) | Go to Book |
| 6) Goodman & Gilman 13e | Go to Book |
Resources:
1) Bertram G. Katzung, Marieke Kruidering-Hall, Anthony J. Trevor - Katzung & Trevor’s Pharmacology Examination and Board Review-McGraw-Hill Education (2019)
2) Symptoms in the Pharmacy A Guide to the Management of Common Illnesses by Alison Blenkinsopp , Martin Duerden , John Blenkinsopp
3) Case files. pharmacology by Toy, Eugene C.
4) Pharmacotherapy Handbook, Eleventh Edition 11th Edition by Terry Schwinghammer
5) Farideh Javid, Janice McCurrie - Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology_ The Essentials (2009, Wiley)
6) Goodman & Gilman 13e.
List of Services
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD
Share
Recent articles:
References: Harkin B, Webb TL, Chang BPI, Prestwich A, Conner M, Kellar I, et al. Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Psychol Bull . 2016;142(2):198–229. Available from: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000025.pdf Compernolle S, DeSmet A, Poppe L, Crombez G, De Bourdeaudhuij I, Cardon G, et al. Effectiveness of interventions using self-monitoring to reduce sedentary behavior in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act . 2019;16(1):63. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-019-0824-3 Patel ML, Brooks TL, Bennett GG. Consistent self‑monitoring in a commercial app‑based intervention for weight loss: results from a randomized trial. J Behav Med . 2020;43:391–401. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10865-019-00091-8 Patel ML, Hopkins CM, Brooks TL, Bennett GG. Comparing self-monitoring strategies for weight loss in a smartphone app: randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth . 2019;7(2):e12209. Available from: https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/2/e12209/ Lally P, Van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur J Soc Psychol . 2010;40(6):998–1009. Available from: https://repositorio.ispa.pt/bitstream/10400.12/3364/1/IJSP_998-1009.pdf Singh B, Murphy A, Maher C, Smith AE. Time to form a habit: A systematic review and meta-analysis of health behaviour habit formation and its determinants. Healthcare (Basel) . 2024;12(23):2488. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/23/2488 Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P. Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta‑analysis of effects and processes. In: Advances in Experimental Social Psychology . 2006;38:69–119. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/37367696 Adriaanse MA, Gollwitzer PM, De Ridder DTD, De Wit JBF, Kroese FM. Breaking habits with implementation intentions: A test of underlying processes. Pers Soc Psychol Bull . 2011;37(4):502–13. Available from: https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/380229/0146167211399102.pdf Palmer CA, Bower JL, Cho KW, Clementi MA, Lau S, Oosterhoff B, et al. Sleep loss and emotion: A systematic review and meta-analysis of over 50 years of experimental research. Psychol Bull . 2023;149(11):2314–48. Available from: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000410.pdf Kong Y, Yu B, Guan G, Wang Y, He H. Effects of sleep deprivation on sports performance and perceived exertion in athletes and non-athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol . 2025;16:1544286. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1544286/full Tadros M, Newby JM, Li S, Werner‑Seidler A. Psychological treatments to improve sleep quality in university students: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One . 2025;20(2):e0317125. Available from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0317125 Locke EA, Latham GP. Building a practically useful theory of goal setting and task motivation: A 35‑year odyssey. Am Psychol . 2002;57(9):705–17. Available from: https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/s-spire/documents/PD.locke-and-latham-retrospective_Paper.pdf
Reference: ACRP. “ICH E6(R2) to ICH E6(R3) Comparison.” (Jan 28, 2025) — terminology & essential records: PDF Clinical Trials Toolkit. “Summary of Key Changes in ICH E6(R3).” (Mar 25, 2025) — proportionality, QbD, safety reporting: Article PharmaEduCenter. “Key changes between ICH GCP E6 R3 and E6 R2.” (Aug 10, 2025) — structure & glossary: Blog CITI Program. “Navigating the Transition from ICH E6(R2) to ICH E6(R3).” (Mar 12, 2025) — consent & site practices: Blog IntuitionLabs. “ICH E6 (R3) Explained.” (Updated Jan 13, 2026) — rationale, data governance: Deep dive
Simplify your day with essentialism: set priorities, eliminate the non‑essential, time‑block deep work, and measure progress for stress‑free productivity.
A runner’s guide to VO₂ max: why plateaus happen and how to fix them with long intervals, tempo, hills, cross‑training and smart periodization.
Explore the science of cognitive dissonance and learn how attitude change occurs, why dissonance matters, and what recent brain studies reveal about decision-making and self-control.
Discover the science behind willpower and impulse control. Explore Dr. David Lewis’s “zombie brain” model, the ego depletion controversy, glucose myths, and evidence-based strategies like the 3-second pause, mindfulness, and environmental design to build lasting self-control.
Explore evidence-based insights into ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, and ARBs for hypertension management.
Discover the latest scientific evidence (2022–2025) on Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)—their role in muscle recovery, performance enhancement, and safety.
Explore the benefits of Combination therapy for patients with Hypertension.