title: Cognitive pharmacy services at a pediatric nephrology and hypertension clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric patients require special attention from pediatric pharmacists. This is particularly true for pediatric patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) as the number of their medications and the complexity of their treatment increase with disease progression. However, there is paucity of information describing pediatric cognitive pharmacy services in this setting. The objective of this study is to identify the potential roles of a clinical pharmacist as a provider in a pediatric nephrology and hypertension clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pediatric patients (≤18 years of age) who chronically took at least one medication were consecutively enrolled at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension Clinic from 1 August 2007 to 15 April 2008. Demographic information and the interventions performed during the clinic visit by a clinical pharmacist were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and seventy-four visits made in 283 participants were evaluated. The mean (SD) number of cognitive pharmacy interventions per patient was 2.3 (1.0) on the first visit, with medication counseling and verification of current medications comprising the most common activity (85%). The mean (SD) number of medications per patient was 5.7 (4.8) and of medications counseled per visit was 4.0 (3.4). Medication adherence was investigated in 141 (38%) visits. Pretransplant education on medications was performed in 3% of the patients. Discrepancies of medications were discovered in 12 of the 374 visits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pediatric cognitive pharmacy services to patients at the UNC pediatric nephrology clinic were feasible, which improved the quality of services and promoted better outcomes for these complex patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, The Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital, Greensboro, NC 27401-1020, USA.
authors.forename: Tsz-Yin
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: So
authors.forename: J Bradley
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Layton
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bozik
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farrington
authors.forename: Patrick E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gipson
authors.forename: Keisha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Primack
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Conley
authors.forename: Debbie S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Gipson
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferris
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009398:Nephrology; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services