NICU Primer for Pharmacists - Softcover

NICU Primer for Pharmacists By Amy P. Holmes __________________________________________________________ Doody s Review Services, April 2016 Reviewer, TracyHampton, PharmD (Temple University Hospital),, Description, Many pharmacists working in hospital pharmacies have little or no formal training in neonatology, yet they are tasked with dispensing medications to this fragile group of patients. This comprehensive overview of pharmacological treatment and neonatal care gathers the information pharmacists, students, and residents need in one place. This is also available as an ebook.,, Purpose, The author strives to "give the pharmacy student an introduction to the NICU," and to "provide an overall understanding of the most common disease states in the neonatal population as well as the role of the most commonly used pharmaceutical agents in the NICU." This will be useful to share with the pharmacy students on their one day in the satellite of a teaching hospital. It exposes them to the fundamental topics that are not discussed due to time constraints.,, Audience, The author wrote this book for "pharmacists who do not usually work in a NICU, pharmacy students, and residents as an introduction to NICU for learners." The information is presented in a highly accessible format, allowing users to answer an immediate question during practice, or giving them a general place to start on their knowledge quest. The suggested references can be used to delve into the details when necessary. This title was written for pharmacists by a pharmacist who knows there is not always time to sift through a detailed reference to make a decision. It was also written by an educator wanting students to gain an appreciation of the dosing complexity of the NICU patient that extends beyond a weight-based dose.,, Features, The book starts with necessary abbreviations, definitions, and key general information. Each subsequent chapter is devoted to a different disease state in the newborn (e.g., patent ductus arteriosus). The chapters are informative, but succinct. It becomes obvious that great lengths were taken to avoid overlapping material. If two disease states could occur in tandem, the book directs readers to the corresponding chapter. The charts and graphs are excellent as quick at-a-glance references. This is a rapidly changing field and this reference could become outdated quickly. For instance, if there is no consensus on a dosing regimen, that information is expressed along with regimens currently in use.,,, Assessment, The beauty of this book is that it is not designed to be a detailed resource. But, by offering suggested readings, it does allow readers to gather additional details if needed or desired. This is a great source of quick NICU information. It fills a gap with a reference that gives anyone walking into a NICU for the first time a knowledge base on which they can build.,,, ----------------------------------------------------------- Weighted Numerical Score: 3 Stars! --Tracy Hampton, PharmD (Temple University)"Doody Review Services" (04/06/2016)"

The stakes are high, time is of the essence and every detail matters - yet neonatal pharmacology often has been a challenging and poorly understood area of pediatrics. Until now. Many pharmacists working in hospital pharmacies today have little or no formal training in neonatology yet they are faced with dispensing medications to this fragile NICU population. NICU Primer for Pharmacists, by Amy P. Holmes, is a unique comprehensive overview of pharmacological treatment and neonatal care puts the information pharmacists, students, and residents need in one place, including strategies for: * Selecting the optimal drug at the right dose within hours of recognizing a problem* Detecting and correcting product dilutions* Overseeing dosing adjustments as patients mature, increase or lose body weight* Accommodating for multiple concurrent diseases, dramatic growth, organ maturation and damage and more* Maximizing survival without serious long-term damage and neurodevelopmental delays. NICU Primer for Pharmacists puts the information you need in one place, so you can feel more confident making medication decisions for your tiniest patients. If your team cares for neonatal patients, consider this guide your invaluable resource for safe and effective drug therapy.