Small Patients, Big Responsibilities: Fundamentals of Pediatric Pharmacotherapy

Small Patients, Big Responsibilities: Fundamentals of Pediatric Pharmacotherapy

Family MedicineGeneral PracticeInternal MedicinePaediatrics
A badge with ribbon in color black No CME/CPD credits | An analog clock in color black 1 Hour | A black calendar with white triangle in center that has a black exclamation point in the middle 28 Apr 2026 

Overview

About this course

Pediatric pharmacotherapy encompasses the proper use of medications to treat diseases and health conditions in the pediatric population. This subject is crucial since children are not little adults; children differ from adults in terms of physiology, development, and responses to medications. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of pediatric pharmacotherapy is required to ensure pediatric drug administration is safe and effective and to minimize the risk of pediatric medication errors.

The fundamentals of pediatric pharmacotherapy focus on the unique characteristics of children when administering medications. Medication administration considers factors such as pediatric developmental stage, physiological changes, age, weight, drug formulations, and route of administration. Among these fundamentals, the relationship between pediatric pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is important in providing appropriate dosing and optimizing drug therapy in children.

This e-learning module aims to equip physicians with an in-depth understanding of pediatric pharmacotherapy and its key principles. Furthermore, this module recognizes the critical role of physicians in optimizing pediatric drug therapy, preventing medication errors, and ensuring appropriate medication administration.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this module, learners will be able to:

  • Identify the pediatric age groups and their corresponding developmental stages which influence drug efficacy and safety.
  • Understand the principles of pediatric pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
  • Recognize the significant differences in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in pediatric patients compared to adults.
  • Emphasize the role of physicians in pediatric pharmacotherapy, especially in preventing medication errors in the home setting.

Topics covered

  • Introduction to Pediatric Pharmacotherapy
  • Pharmacokinetics (PK) and Pharmacodynamics (PD)
    • Definition and Relationship
    • Pediatric Pharmacokinetics
    • Pediatric Pharmacodynamics
  • The Role of Physicians in Pediatric Pharmacotherapy

Speaker for this module:

Prof_Ser KOL photo.png

Ser Loisse R. Mortel, RPh, MS Chem
Assistant Professorial Lecturer
Dr. Mariano Que College of Pharmacy
De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute
DasmariƱas, Cavite

Instructor
Department of Biochemistry
University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Pharmacy
EspaƱa, Manila

Keywords: pediatric pharmacotherapy, pediatric pharmacokinetics, pediatric pharmacodynamics, pediatric medication errors, pediatric drug administration, medication reconciliation

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