Book excerpt: The overall goal of clinical pharmacy is to promote the correct and appropriate use of prescription and non-prescription medicinal products and devises and to minimize adverse effects. The Oxford American Handbook of Clinical Pharmacy provides an accessible and easily navigable quick-reference guide for practicing and student pharmacists. It is not just another drug book, but a complete, portable coverage of the pharmacy profession, from high-value scientific and clinical information, such as adverse drug reactions, interactions, and pharmaceutical calculations to professional issues such as ethics, practice management, evidence-based medicine, and research. It covers the main body systems and provides a wealth of practical information required by pharmacists on a day-to-day basis, including many topics not traditionally found in handbooks.