Pharmaceutical interventions in neonatal unit: study review

Abstract

Objective: To review the literature on Pharmaceutical Interventions (PIs) in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), highlighting the main interventions performed, medications involved and their acceptability by the multidisciplinary team. Methodology: Searches for studies on PIs were carried out in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed®) Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO®), , Latin American Caribbean
Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS®) and the Virtual Health Library (BVS) portal, in addition manual searches were performed on Google Scholar®, between January and February 2022, without restriction
of study period or place. Results: The most frequent PIs were: dose adjustment, pharmaceutical advice and change of medication schedule. The main drugs involved in PIs were antimicrobials, predominantly
aminoglycosides (gentamicin and amikacin). The main form of contact between pharmacist and health team was face-to-face, followed by the use of the telephone and in writing. The acceptability rate of PIs by the multidisciplinary team ranged from 59.2% to 95.2%.Conclusion: Studies on pharmaceutical interventions in NICUs are scarce. This review contributes to expanding knowledge about the pharmacist's role in Neonatal Units.