Atenção pediátrica: o papel do farmacêutico

Abstract

The prescription of medicines for pediatric patients faces barriers related to the reduced availability of approved drugs and the unavailability of adequate pharmaceutical forms for the use of this public, commonly adopting the practice of prescribing off-label or unlicensed drugs and in In general, the pharmacotherapy used in pediatrics follows criteria similar to those applied to adult patients. However, variations in pharmacokinetics are observed between pediatric and adult patients. In order to reduce the problems related to the use of medicines in pediatrics, the importance of Pharmaceutical Care activities developed by clinical pharmacists can be highlighted. In view of the above, the objective of the present study was to present the contributions of pharmaceutical care actions for pediatric patients. In order to do so, a literary review was carried out regarding the actions of the pharmacist in the scope of Pharmaceutical Care aimed at improving the treatment of Pediatric patients, as well as on the positive aspects of these actions. The research was carried out based on national and international works published in electronic and printed scientific journals, accessible through the web, in addition to books and publications of the Ministry of Health. In this sense, it was observed that the generalization regarding the use of medicines for the pediatric public can lead to an increase in the risk of adverse events in these patients, since there is not always significant evidence on safety and efficacy, as well as, formulations suitable for children are not always available. Pharmaceutical Care, developed by clinical pharmacists, is committed to ensuring the rational use of drugs, so that the patient receives the appropriate pharmacotherapy, minimizing the unfavorable results resulting from drug therapy.