International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy - ESCP Spring Workshop, Bratislava 2024: Pharmacotherapy challenges in the developing years: from conception to adolescence

Dear colleagues,

We are proud to invite you to join the Spring Workshop of the European Society of Clinical Pharmacy in Bratislava, Slovakia, from 25-26 April 2024.

This spring workshop will focus on the challenges of pharmacotherapy in the developing years: from conception to adolescence. Medication during pregnancy must always be carefully considered. There is an increasing number of mothers who give birth at an older age, who also suffer from chronic diseases and take medication. During pregnancy, not only do we affect the mother, but we can also affect the developing foetus. Changes in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in the mother's changing body can also change the effect of medicines. Similarly, during breastfeeding, medicines taken by the mother can pass into the baby's body through breast milk and affect the baby. When to stop breastfeeding and whether to stop breastfeeding at all are questions frequently asked by clinical pharmacists. Questions about the safety of medicines and their effect on fertility are also common.

The use of medicines in pediatrics is also a challenge. Many medicines do not have sufficient medical evidence to prove their efficacy and safety in children. This does not mean that they are not effective or safe. But we often use them off-label. How do you assess the risk of a medicine in children and how do you adjust the dose? A child is not a small adult. Pediatric patients have their own peculiarities in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs, so proper assessment of drug use is essential!

The ESCP Workshop in Bratislava is an excellent opportunity to enjoy discussions with specialists and share experience with others from all around Europe, in the city by the beautiful blue Danube, capital of Slovakia.

Looking forward to meeting you in Bratislava, Slovakia in April 2024