Selecting and Administering Medications (gastrostomy)

Chapter 12: Selecting and Administering Medications

Overview:

• Includes examples of various dose forms and alternative forms of drug administration
• Addresses drug-feed compatibility
• Focuses on drug-drug interactions
• Provides an excellent summary of medication recommendations

Description:

Most people with a gastrostomy tube require medication at some time. For many people, medication is required on a regular basis and health professionals and carers must therefore be aware of the potential problems that can be encountered and how to avoid such problems. This chapter discusses various issues relating to the selection and administration of medications in tube-fed people.

Topics:

• Dose form
  • Preferred dose forms
  • Capsules
• Alternative forms
• Drug–feed compatibility
  • Limited data
  • Some known interactions
  • Protein-bound drugs
• Drug–drug interactions
• Tube patency
  • Preventing blockages and unblocking tubes
  • Feeds and blockages
  • Medications and blockages
  • Best practice to avoid blockages
• Conclusion

Speaker / Author:

Jan Iskander
Jan is a registered pharmacist who holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a graduate diploma in clinical pharmacy. She is a member of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. Jan has extensive experience in community and hospital pharmacies. She was previously manager of the pharmacy service at North West Hospital (Melbourne, Australia). In this role she was, at various times, responsible for the pharmacy departments at North West Hospital, Greenvale Centre, Royal Park Hospital, Essendon & District Hospital, and the Mental Health Services for the ‘Kids & Youth Program’. She also managed the quality portfolio for the network pharmacy service of North Western Health.

Jan is currently manager of the pharmacy department at Sandringham & District Memorial Hospital (Melbourne, Australia), a community-based public hospital with medical, surgical, obstetric, haemodialysis, and emergency services. Her interests are the safe use of medicines and quality-improvement processes.

Professional Reviews:

Best pracise in administration of drugs via gastrostomy is of extreme importance and this is well covered in this resource.