WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

S. Aishwarya*

ABSTRACT

An adverse drug reaction is any undesirable effect of a drug beyond its anticipated therapeutic effects occurring during clinical use. In contrast, an adverse drug event is an untoward occurrence after exposure to a drug that is not necessarily caused by the drug. While there is an impression that children are at a lower risk than adults for ADRs, in fact a number of factors germane to pediatric therapy place certain groups of children at a high risk for adverse events associated with therapy. The drug therapy for children evolves, becomes more complex, and begins to use novel molecules and biologicals there will be an increasing need for pediatric pharmacists to be more involved in clinical care, education, and research specific to drug safety. The pharmacotherapy in children is somewhat unique compared to that in adults in that there is a much less unitary distribution of therapy. The use of prescription medication among children is at first glance much more common than might be associated with ADR. Predictable ADRs are those that can be anticipated predicated on the known pharmacology of the drug. This ADR pattern is the most common type of ADR, and these ADRs tend to be less severe and often self-limited. The unpredictable ADRs are those whose evolution, possibly understood to some degree, is not predictable based on the drug's known pharmacology. Conducting regular training programs in pediatric pharmacy are very well designed to produce the next generation of practitioners as active members of patient care teams. Continuous education is another area in which pediatric pharmacy can play a crucial role in teaching skills germane to patient and drug safety and lowers the occurrence of adverse drug reactions in the clinical practice.

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