The fourth edition of Pharmaceutical Substances was printed in 2001, and in the intervening time the authors note there have been significant changes in the pharmaceutical sector with once well-known vendors having disappeared or changed names. In addition, a vast number of brand nameshave disappeared or changed, drugs have been withdrawn or sold to another vendor, and many drugs have become generic after their patents expired. The authors also make the point that there is an electronic version (which I have previously reviewed), and although that version is constantly updated (for instance, version 3.0, updated in June 2007, was the seventh update since its launch in November 2003), many users approached the authors and publishers to request an updated printed version. In response, this new edition is now available with 165 new monograph entries, revisions to existing entries, and countless changes to vendor and trade names. This edition contains about 1300 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with a very useful alphabetical list of monographs in the opening section wherein those included in the printed version are highlighted in bold-face print and additional entries in the electronic version are included in light-face print. This is a very helpful means to show the contents and illustrate the two sources of information available to users.

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