Pharmaceutical Analysis. A Textbook for Pharmacy Students and Pharmaceutical Chemists

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Winter 2000 by Lien, Eric J

DAVID G. WATSON. Pharmaceutical Analysis. A Textbook for Pharmacy Students and Pharmaceutical Chemists.

Philadelphia PA: WB. Saunders Company, 1999. xi 337 pp., 272 figs., 41 tbis., $39.95.

This textbook on quantitative/qualitative pharmaceutical analysis is intended for pharmacy students and pharmaceutical chemists is both timely and quite appropriate. Not only because the instrumentation and techniques of pharmaceutical analysis have developed rapidly over the last ten years, but also the decline of chemistry based teaching in some pharmacy schools in recent years. This trend started when clinical program was introduced to pharmacy schools thirty years ago. The rapid growth of molecular biology has further eroded the chemistry-based curriculum in some institutions, to the extent that only alphabets are used to represent amino acids, proteins, DNA's and RNA's. While this saves printing space, a lot of useful chemical information is lost during the process. It is, therefore, quite refreshing to see that a concise book has been written with chemical structural formulas together with graphic presentations of the principles and equipment involved in pharmaceutical analysis.

This single author book has the distinct advantage of having consistency of style and presentation. The key-point summaries at the beginning of each chapter and the self-tests throughout make it very readable and easy to learn new techniques. The book starts with control of the quality of analytical methods, through physical and chemical properties of drug molecules, then going from more conventional titrimetric and chemical analysis methods to modern instrumental analyses. These include: UV-visible spectroscopy, IR, Near IR, and atomic emission spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectroscopy, IR, Near IR, and atomic emission spectrophotometry, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy, proton and carbon-13 NMR, 2-D NMR, Mass spectrometry, chromatographic analyses (GC, HPLC, TLC), high performance capillary electrophoresis, and finished with a chapter on extraction methods. References are given at the end of each chapter. The index at the end of the book makes cross-checking very convenient.

In reading through the book, this reviewer has found very few errors that can be easily corrected by most readers with the exception of the following: (1) the word "sample" throughout the book should be changed to "specimen," or "drug solution," in accordance with an IUPAC recommendation made many years ago that it should only be used in statistical sense, e.g., sample size; (2) on page 271, the structure of fluorodinitrobenzene appears to be in error, judging from the fact that nitro group is meta-directing and fluoro atom is ortho-, para-- directing. The correct structure should be 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (instead of 3,4-dinitro). It should be further stated that this chemical known as Sanger's reagent is highly toxic, it is also a vesicant and cancer suspect agent, proper handling procedure should be strictly followed.

In spite of these minor omissions, this is an excellent book. It is highly recommended for all undergraduate pharmacy students, pharmaceutical scientists and analytical chemists. It is also very useful for postgraduate students working in the field for the first time, and for technicians who want to expand their analytical knowledge.It should be in the library of every pharmacy school and chemistry department.

Eric J. Lien

University of Southern California