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FDB (First Databank), the leading provider of clinical drug knowledge that helps improve medication-related decisions and patient outcomes, today announced that it will present a poster that recommends appropriate medication pediatric dosing at the 23rd Annual Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group (PPAG) Meeting and 2014 Pediatric Pharmacy Conference, April 30 – May 4, 2014, in Nashville, Tennessee. The poster summarizes consensus recommendations derived from an evidenced-based review by a panel of independent pediatric drug dosing experts from eight leading children’s hospitals. FDB sponsored and directed the work of the expert panel.
The poster entitled, “Evaluation and Recommendations for 200+ Commonly Prescribed Pediatric Drugs Where Product Dosing Labeling Information is Lacking,” summarizes findings from the panel’s evaluation of a total of 924 pediatric dosing records. The key focus of the expert dosing panel was to review and recommend clinically acceptable minimum/maximum dosing recommendations based upon age and clinical evidence along with expert opinion.
With the goal to increase pediatric patient safety related to medication dose range screening for prescribing clinicians, the panel recommended new consensus-based limits for medications where no age-specific FDA-approved labeling information exists. For example, intravenous infliximab previously had dosing limits for 6 years to adult age; the expert panel recommendation extended dosing limit guidance of infliximab at 3-10 mg/kg for 1 year to adult age. A total of 668 dosing records are being changed in FDB MedKnowledge™ as a result of the panel’s recommendations.
“There are a multitude of challenges in developing accurate guidelines for pediatric drug dosing,” said Karl Matuszewski, vice president of clinical and editorial knowledge base services, FDB, who, along with other drug dosing experts at FDB, co-led and directed the work of the expert panel. “Our hope is that the new content in pediatric drug dosing recommended by the panel will greatly enhance the effectiveness of pediatric computerized physician order entry and dose checking, decrease alert fatigue and improve patient care for this important population.”
FDB’s drug knowledge and clinical screening information is utilized by thousands of hospitals, payers and pharmacies across the United States, as well as by the majority of state Medicaid agencies, CMS, the Department of Defense, and the Veterans Administration.
