Sodium oxybate: a primer for pharmacists in the treatment of narcolepsy.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this report is to describe a 57-year-old man who was admitted to a nursing facility for physical therapy. His home medication list included sodium oxybate. This article will provide the pharmacist with a therapeutic overview of sodium oxybate as well as review the unique processes involved with drug acquisition, dosing, patient education, and monitoring.

SETTING

Community pharmacy, nursing facility pharmacy, consultant pharmacy practice.

PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS: Sodium oxybate is the only medication in the United States that has approval for both treatment of cataplexy in narcolepsy and treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy. Sodium oxybate has many unique properties that cause it to differ from past therapies for cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.

CONCLUSION

It is important for pharmacists to understand the therapeutic uses of sodium oxybate and to review the processes for acquisition, dosing, and administration to better assist physicians and patients and improve therapeutic outcomes.