How to Take Drugs
A New Approach to Medication for Better Results and Fewer Side Effects
Published on 28. May 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-0350-7213-2 (ISBN)
Description
'This book will change lives. It has changed mine.' Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
How do you know if the medicine you're taking is right for you?
Should you worry about side effects, and, if so, how much?
And how can you advocate for a loved one when it comes to being prescribed medication?
In How to Take Drugs, world-renowned pharmaceutical expert Dr Nick Barber answers these questions and more, explaining how medicines actually work on your body, how they're tested, and why they are often so much less effective than you might think.
Dr. Barber's clear 'Avoid, Kiss, Marry, Divorce' framework offers a practical guide for evaluating how your medication is working, and offers solutions - whether you're taking medicines now, facing a new diagnosis, or supporting others with their healthcare.
In a world full of contradictory medical information and concerns around over-prescription, it is an essential, eye-opening read.
'Likely to be the kind of book we should all have chained to our wrists, given the sheer amount of prescription medicines we are likely to consume in a lifetime.' - New Scientist
'A lively and empowering read, full of deftly explained science, good humour and humanity.' - Dr Lucy Pollock, author of The Book About Getting Older
How do you know if the medicine you're taking is right for you?
Should you worry about side effects, and, if so, how much?
And how can you advocate for a loved one when it comes to being prescribed medication?
In How to Take Drugs, world-renowned pharmaceutical expert Dr Nick Barber answers these questions and more, explaining how medicines actually work on your body, how they're tested, and why they are often so much less effective than you might think.
Dr. Barber's clear 'Avoid, Kiss, Marry, Divorce' framework offers a practical guide for evaluating how your medication is working, and offers solutions - whether you're taking medicines now, facing a new diagnosis, or supporting others with their healthcare.
In a world full of contradictory medical information and concerns around over-prescription, it is an essential, eye-opening read.
'Likely to be the kind of book we should all have chained to our wrists, given the sheer amount of prescription medicines we are likely to consume in a lifetime.' - New Scientist
'A lively and empowering read, full of deftly explained science, good humour and humanity.' - Dr Lucy Pollock, author of The Book About Getting Older
Reviews / Votes
This book will change lives. It has changed mine. * Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * A lively and empowering read, full of deftly explained science, good humour and humanity. * Dr Lucy Pollock, author of The Book About Getting Older * An important, timely and above all a very enjoyable book. . . Nick does what few writers manage in making complex and technical issues easily understood by the lay person, with a very easy style and a wry sense of humour. * Andrew Davies, former Welsh Government Minister and Chair of Swansea Bay Health Board *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Pan Macmillan
Target group
Interest Age: From 18 years
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 164 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
479 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-0350-7213-2 (9781035072132)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2026
Bluebird
€21.99
Available for download
Person
Dr Nick Barber, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacy at University College London, is one of the world's foremost experts in the field, and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He developed a national service for patients starting new medicines, which is currently being used by around seven million patients a year in the UK alone, and which has been copied in six countries. It's saved the NHS over GBP6bn so far. He also developed the national framework of good prescribing against which all GPs were measured, and his work on medication errors in care homes led to a Ministerial Summit and significant changes to national policy.
He has published over 200 research papers and been cited over 24,000 times. He is the author of How to Take Drugs.
He has published over 200 research papers and been cited over 24,000 times. He is the author of How to Take Drugs.