Rx Note

Introduction I can still recall a memorable incident during my provisional registered pharmacist year when I received a phone call from a doctor during an on-call shift. The question seemed simple enough: whether dosage adjustments were needed for metronidazole in obese patient. However, even today, we are still in the stage of figuring best ways to dose obese patients. We are well aware that significant variations in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses can occur among patients due to factors such as weight, age, genetics, concurrent diseases and other factors. However, the "one dose fits all" (all patients receive the same dose) remains a common form of drug dosing. Understanding Obesity Body size is typically defined using the body mass index (BMI) classification . Normal weight 18.5-24.00 kg/m 2 Overweight 25-29.99 kg/m 2 Obese class I 30-34.99 kg/m 2 Obese class II 35-39.99 kg/m 2 Obese class III ≥40 kg/m 2 NOTE: Caution must be exercised when applying BMI to ...

Introduction Obesity is a growing epidemic , particularly in developed countries, and is largely related to an unhealthy lifestyle. Obesity is generally defined as excessive body fat mass. The medical rationale for weight loss in people with obesity is that obesity is a disease associated with a significant increase in mortality and many health risks including type 2 diabetes mellitus , hypertension , dyslipidaemia, chronic kidney disease , osteoarthritis and coronary heart disease. Body Mass Index (BMI) Body size is typically defined using body mass index (BMI) . Normal weight 18.5-24.00 kg/m 2 Overweight 25-29.99 kg/m 2 Obese class I 30-34.99 kg/m 2 Obese class II 35-39.99 kg/m 2 Obese class III ≥40 kg/m 2 Use caution when applying BMI to individuals with greater muscle mass, women or the elderly. NOTE: Generally, Asians have a higher body fat percentage compared to Caucasians of the same age, sex and BMI. Even below the BMI cut-off of 25 kg/m 2 , a substantial number of Asians d...