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.
Keywords: Clinical pharmacist, Drug-related problems, Interdisciplinary rounds, Medication therapy management, Medication errors, Medication reconciliation, Pediatric diseases, Patient outcomes, Quality of care, Treatment optimization.
