I cannot, for the life of me, understand why medical students seem to be so in love with this book. I surely hope it provides them with information they find useful. But as a clinical pharmacist I can confidently say that each med student who clutches their Tarascon is one more who will ask more questions of me than any other. Perhaps that’s not a criticism; perhaps Tarascon customers are simply more inquisitive than non-Tarascon customers, and less bashful about making use of the inevitably symbiotic relationship that seems to exist between pharmacists and physicians. But then I open the thing up and can’t help feeling a bit sorry for people who are so enthusiastic about the shallow quality of what’s inside.

I guess pharmacists and physicians are just different creatures. And I don’t mind being asked simple questions. Believe me, everyone loves picking up some low-hanging fruit every now and then. But while medical students surely need to focus on the most concise details for writing the most common orders, they should recognize that there are a lot of things that Tarascon will miss. That’s ok, I don’t mind sparking discussion and filling in the gaps. But the crowd here might want to realize that with Tarascon, there will be many of those.

So when you get a call back, if you answer with “I got it from Tarascon’s”, please try to understand the exasperation you will elicit and sighs of disbelief from the other end of the phone. I wish you all the best and am just speaking to what I think is as much in your best interests as it is mine.

Just one bloke’s opinion.
Rating: 3 / 5

This pocket book is a must for every physician. If you are a resident in your first year you will open it at least every 30 min!
Rating: 5 / 5