A core aspect of ICCPE's Medicines for Children initiative is its vision of specialist paediatric pharmacy practitioners working in the community pharmacy setting. As well as live training in this area, the Centre has acquired Introduction to Paediatric Pharmaceutical Care, an open learning package produced by the Scottish Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacists Group (SNAPP).

Introduction to Paediatric Pharmaceutical Care aims to develop knowledge and skills while achieving a level of competency in the delivery of pharmaceutical care to infants and children.

Having completed this course, pharmacists should be able to:
1. Apply knowledge and understanding of the effects on drug handling, prescribing and daily living with respect to childhood developments - anatomical, physiological, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamic and psychosocial changes.
2. Apply knowledge and understanding of the effects of drugs in pregnancy and during breastfeeding and how this impacts on antenatal and neonatal care.
3. Obtain the relevant background information relating to paediatric medicines information enquiries and use the appropriate sources of information to answer them.
4. Deal appropriately with prevalent diseases and problems with prescribing medication in children.
5. Identify risk issues within paediatric pharmaceutical care and know how to address them.
6. Take a holistic approach to pharmaceutical care of paediatric patients in order to ensure appropriate, seamless care and concordance.

Pharmacists who complete this course will be awarded eight continuing education hours from ICCPE. To order a copy of Introduction to Paediatric Pharmaceutical Care click here or telephone 01 2196000.