This New Book is Packed with Prescribing Pearls

Have you ever met someone who’s really passionate about what they do? Recently, I had the pleasure of a virtual introduction to clinical pharmacist Eric Christianson, author of The Thrill of the Case: Case Studies, Drug Interactions and Clinical Pearls in Medication Management and host of podcast Real Life Pharmacology. While Eric jokes that there’s not a lot to do in Minnesota “where it’s so cold it makes your face hurt”, one glance at his book shows that the publication is born out of his love for pharmacology rather than winter boredom.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I received The Thrill of the Case in the mail. You never know what you’re going to get with clinical reads. But, I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! The book is packed with clinical prescribing pearls presented in various formats. From quick case studies to helpful one-pagers like “When to discontinue statins in the elderly”, “Managing drug-resistant hypertension – 5 questions to ask” and “Medication induced yawning”, Christianson shares common medication scenarios, errors, interactions and other tips based on his experience as a pharmacist. 

The inner nerd in me loves to pick apart drug information articles. But, as a nurse practitioner, I’m not quite as savvy with pharmacology as my pharmacist friends. Christianson, however, seems to understand this and writes with providers in mind. Each pearl is written in a casual, easy-to-read style making The Thrill of the Case effortless to pick up for a quick pharmacology tidbit or two. Just a few interesting/helpful tips I picked up this week…

• A common side effect of spironolactone is moobs (man-boobs AKA gynecomastia).
• Topiramate (for migraines) and birth control interact. When taken together, the effect of oral contraceptives may be decreased.
• Prescribing extended release metformin will reduced GI side effects compared to short acting metformin. 
• Calcium and levothyroxine interact by binding in the gut. This leads to lower levothyroxine concentrations. Watch OTC medications/supplements in your thyroid patients. 

My only critique of The Thrill of the Case would be that it lacks an index in the back. So, if you’re looking to read up on a specific topic it takes a bit of time to find what you’re looking for. The positive? You’ll notice a number of there attention-grabbing topics along the way. 

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