Drug evaluation and pharmaceutical care in a critically ill COVID-19 patient

Currently, the novel coronavirus pneumonia is rampaging around the world, 13.2 - 21.3% of patients with COVID-19 infection developed severe or critical illness. Treatment of these critically ill patients is becoming one of the major challenges we are facing. Frequently, more than 10 types of drugs are used simultaneously in the treatment of these critically ill patients, and the combination of many different drugs may easily lead to drug interactions and adverse reactions. Therefore, clinical pharmacist should participate in the optimization of drug treatment programs.

A case of a critically ill COVID-19 patient with respiratory failure and diabetes mellitus is used as an example of an analysis of the treatment plan, utilization of combined medications, and the delivery of pharmaceutical care.

There were some drug use unreasonable phenomena, including the extended continuation of arbidol treatment, the use of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs, the use of drugs with unproven anti-coronavirus effects.

Clinical pharmacists should participate in the optimization of drug treatment programs and provide pharmaceutical care for critically ill COVID-19 patients; this can promote the rational use of drugs.