Role of Clinical Pharmacists in Pediatric Disease Wards

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Effective medication therapy management is essential in addressing pediatric pharmacotherapy's unique challenges, as pediatric patients are distinct from adults in terms of physiological and pharmacological characteristics. This management requires a multidisciplinary team to provide optimal care, with clinical pharmacists specializing in pediatrics playing a role in ensuring safe and effective medication use in this patient population. This chapter reviews clinical pharmacists' roles and responsibilities in these settings, including participation in interdisciplinary rounds, medication reconciliation and review, and patient counseling. In addition, this chapter investigates the essential knowledge required to fulfill the roles and responsibilities of clinical pharmacists in pediatric care settings, which include a basic understanding of common pediatric diseases and medications, clinical guidelines, tools used to provide clinical pharmacy services, identification and prevention of drug-related problems, and clinical competencies. Additionally, this chapter discusses the current evidence on the impact of clinical pharmacy services on outcomes such as medication errors, adverse drug events, and treatment efficacy in pediatric disease wards and the literature on the roles of clinical pharmacists in pediatric wards. Overall, this chapter emphasizes the critical importance of integrating clinical pharmacists as essential healthcare team members in pediatric disease wards to enhance the quality of care and improve patient outcomes.