Neonatal and paediatric pharmacists group
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High-tech advances and basic errors — the
two ends of the spectrum in neonatal and paediatric pharmacy
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In Glasgow from 28–30 September, 160 participants
from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, France, Argentina,
Oman, Australia and New Zealand attended the 7th annual conference
of the Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (NPPG). Peter Mulholland,
a senior pharmacist at Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, reports
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Summary
The conference highlighted the continuing challenges faced by pharmacists
in the field of neonatology and paediatrics. However, in the face
of new technology and new medication challenges, the potential for
simple errors in calculation and prescribing should not be overlooked.
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New treatment challenges in
neonatal medicine Welcoming participants to the conference
JONATHAN BEST (chief executive, Yorkhill Trust) spoke of the levels of
deprivation for children in the Glasgow area...[more]
New paediatric pharmacists The
conference was preceded by a day long session aimed at new paediatric
pharmacists...[more]
Support
for new faculty At the annual general meeting of the NPPG the
decision was taken that the group would support the formation of a Faculty
of Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy by the College of Pharmacy Practice...[more]
Medication
errors and misplaced decimal points The potential for medication
errors in the area of neonatal medicine is of great concern. There have
been several reports of fatal errors, particularly due to 10-, 100- or
even 1000-fold errors, ie, decimal point errors, in prescribing, preparation
or administration...[more]
Provision
of growth hormone to children in Birmingham Fergus MacCallum
and colleagues (Birmingham Children's Hospital) reported on the provision
of growth hormone to children in the Birmingham Health Authority area...[more]
Use of electronic
prescribing for children In a workshop on electronic prescribing,
NEIL CALDWELL (Wirral Hospital), outlined the experience of using the
system for children. Almost all prescribing in the hospital is undertaken
electronically and approximately four million administrations are recorded
each year...[more]
Research
presentations The challenges in drug treatment of babies on
extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) were presented in a poster
by HUSSAIN MULLA (Leicester University Hospitals NHS Trust)...[more]
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