'NICU Primer for Pharmacists' seeks to educate neonatal caregivers

The American Society of Health System Pharmacists released the "NICU Primer for Pharmacists" Thursday to help neonatal caregivers understand the medicine they are giving to patients.     

Treating neonatal patients is often complex and complicated, so medicating them requires a deep understanding of pharmaceuticals to give to these fragile patients.

“Most of the current neonatal literature is found in textbooks targeted at physicians, pediatricians, and neonatologists,” Dr. Amy P. Holmes, neonatal clinical pharmacy specialist at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, said. “Clearly, pharmacists who work in this challenging area of practice need information that is geared specifically to their level of therapeutic education and clinical training. This primer fills that void.”

Holmes wrote the "NICU Primer for Pharmacists" to train those who provide neonatal care. She wants these care givers to be able to provide the proper medicine with the proper dose, correct drug dilutions, have better dosing judgement and work with multiple diseases.