Formulary issues at a pediatric hospital: experience at Children's National Medical Center.

At Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, patients treated range from premature babies to 21-year-olds. Therefore, a broad base of drug therapy is practiced. University affiliated, the facility serves as the pediatric department for George Washington University School of Medicine. This hospital is seen as an innovator in specialized areas, such as neonatology, pediatric trauma, oncology, and organ and bone marrow transplantation. P & T Committee participation and communication are excellent, allowing members to focus sharply on therapeutic issues. One of their successful strategies has been the institution of a rather extensive subcommittee structure, which has facilitated intense but timely formulary review and strengthened drug policy. In this exclusive Hospital Formulary interview, Dr. George Cohen and Mr. Stephen Allen, Chairman and Secretary of the P & T Committee, respectively, share their experiences, providing insight for other P & T Committee members in hospitals serving both children and adults nationwide.

Lead poisoning: 20 years later.

This report compares the clinical picture, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of children with lead poisoning in the 1950s and the 1970s. During this 20-year period, increasing attention has been given to lead poisoning both at the local and national level. This attention has produced legislation to fund screening programs and to reduce the allowable amount of lead in paint. Greater public awareness, more effective methods for screening both populations and environments, and a reduction in severe sequelae of lead poisoning have also been achieved.