Why Should I Join SOCPT?

Join the SOCPT today.  Enhance your career by helping children.

Advocacy

We actively engage with partner organizations at the state and federal level to help advance rational use of therapeutics for children and inform evidence-based decision making. Among the issues of special interest to the section are: the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and Pediatric Research Equity Act, over-the-counter drug monograph reform, increasing diversity among children in clinical studies, medication safety, pediatric-friendly formulations, care coordination and product labeling.

Education & Engagement

Our section leads the way in education by offering our annual program during the AAP’s National Conference & Exhibition. Our meeting is comprised of two -parts: I. A pediatric therapeutics update-that highlights new or existing drugs with labeling specific to children and/or pregnant women and II.a timely topic of interest to a broad audience including general pediatricians, pediatric specialists and pediatric pharmacists. Past topics include:

• Proton Pump Inhibitor Dosing
• Polypharmacy Management in the Medical Home
• Management of Psychiatric Symptoms in Children
• Medication Safety: The Physician/Pharmacist Interface
• Pharmacologic and Alternative Approaches to Sleep in Children
• Generic Drugs
• Cough and Cold Products
• Drug Therapy for Hyperlipidemia in Children
• Ethical, Regulatory and Practical Considerations in Pediatric Drug Trials

Time is scheduled throughout the program for attendees to engage faculty and other participants in group discussion. The Section also cosponsors a variety of sessions offered during the NCE that address elements of drug safety, discovery, and prescribing.

As a multidisciplinary section, we collaborate with other AAP sections, committees, and councils in developing policy, serving as a peer review group for AAP print and online content and supporting activities that inform the therapeutic needs of infants, children and adolescents. The SOCPT maintains active relationships with the Pediatric Pharmacy Association, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics Branch

Section members have the opportunity to participate on various section committees, develop articles for the AAP News: Focus on Subspecialties column, serve as program faculty, and act as mentors. Members also have access to the SOCPT collaboration site, receive important news and alerts through the SOCPT Listserv and occasionally serve as spokespersons.

Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics Special Interest Group (SIG) at Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting Starting in 2023!

Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology SIG

1. Session Description
   
   The majority of drugs used to treat children are not labeled for use in children. Off-label prescribing places children at risk for therapeutic failure and toxicity. Pediatric clinical pharmacology seeks to address these issues by identifying knowledge gaps, conducting research, and disseminating knowledge. The discipline is collaborative and relevant to all disease areas in pediatrics. There is a global shortage in qualified trained pediatric clinical pharmacologists with approximately one pediatric clinical pharmacologist for every four million children. This session will highlight ways in which clinical pharmacology is directly impacting child health from fetus through adolescence and across disease states with a particular focus to encourage interest from junior investigators. The session will conclude with an interactive panel discussion, designed to facilitate discussion of high-impact clinical questions, strategies for multi-institutional collaboration for research, and opportunities for junior investigators.
2. Three learning objectives
   1. Understand how clinical pharmacology can determine optimal dosing across the age spectrum
   2. Understand how clinical pharmacology is incorporated into clinical trials
   3. Discussion of research priorities, collaborative opportunities, and strategies for clinical implementation
3. Participant information
   Mark Hall, MD
   Professor of Pediatrics
   Nationwide Children’s Hospital
   
   Kathleen Job, PhD
   Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
   University of Utah
   
   Brian Smith, MD
   Professor of Pediatrics
   Duke University
   
   Kevin Watt, MD PhD
   Associate Professor of Pediatrics
   University of Utah
4. Presentation titles and durations
   • Clinical Pharmacology in Practice – The PRECISE Trial – Mark Hall
   • Drug exposure in the fetus and newborn – understanding the extent of maternal transfer of drugs – Kate Job
   • Pediatric Dosing – 10 years of the Pediatric Trials Network – Brian Smith or someone from PTN
   • Junior faculty/trainee activity – Kevin Watt