Clinical pharmacology and the individualized approach to treatment

Abstract

Specific drug therapy has been one of the major advances in child health, but benefits have frequently not been realized for children in the developing world. Challenges for drug therapy for children in LMICs include cost and availability of drugs, gaps in key knowledge on drug efficacy and safety in children, ready access to this information, identification of determinants of drug response that differ in children in various regions, characterization of patterns of adverse drug events, formulation issues and the availability of skilled clinicians, and investigators with expertise on drug therapy in children in LMICs. Clinical pharmacology offers considerable potential for addressing these problems, with approaches such as targeted pharmacoepidemology, development of novel formulations, and targeted training of health care workers. International collaboration and innovations in research and training offer great potential for improved health of children worldwide.