Providing Pharmaceutical Care to the Pediatric Patient

The purpose of this article is to provide the pharmacist with direction in providing pharmaceutical care to pediatric patients. A major component of the provision of pharmaceutical care is minimizing the risk for adverse drug effects such as medication errors. Dosage calculation errors are the most common type of medication error encountered in pediatric pharmacy practice. It is imperative that the pharmacist verify the dosages for all medication orders with appropriate dosage references. Establishing basic procedures for the processing of pediatric medication orders can reduce the risk for medication errors. One of the challenges in pediatric pharmacy practice is providing a drug product that is suitable for administration to infants and small children, because many of the commercial products are not. This may entail preparing a liquid formulation from a solid dosage form or instructing the caregiver on how to extract the contents out of a liquid-containing capsule. Providing the caregiver with suggestions on ways to improve the palatability of the medication can make a significant impact on patient compliance. The pediatric population is a very dynamic group of individuals who are constantly changing from the time of conception through adolescence. The physiological changes that occur with normal growth and development alter the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of therapeutic agents. The pharmaceutical care team must be versed in the unique aspects of these patients to best meet their drug therapy needs and achieve the desired therapeutic outcomes. As the expert in pharmacotherapy and pharmaceutics, the pharmacist is a key member of the pharmaceutical care team. Copyright © 1996 by W.B. Saunders Company