Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Targeted Review for Pharmacists

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a disease that impacts drug-exposed infants and describes an array of issues that arise in newborns just hours after birth. Patient presentation and disease symptomatology vary widely based upon the specific substance utilized by the mother while pregnant and duration of exposure. Treatment is dependent on which symptoms are present and, assuming an opioid-derived abstinence syndrome, is based primarily on opioid supplementation to prevent symptoms of withdrawal. Treatment of non-opioid derived abstinence syndrome is often slightly more complex and involves the use of different agents depending on the drug of exposure. Due to the intricate nature of treating NAS, a team of health care professionals, including a pharmacist, should oversee management of the disease state. Pharmacists in both the inpatient and outpatient settings are in important locations to prevent and/or positively impact the outcomes for NAS