Metoclopramide

Excerpt

Metoclopramide is a dopamine receptor antagonist and has been approved by the FDA to treat nausea and vomiting in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease or diabetic gastroparesis by increasing gastric motility. It is also used to control nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients. Additionally, metoclopramide can be administered prophylactically to prevent nausea and vomiting in postoperative patients when nasogastric suction is contraindicated or unavailable and has shown surprising success in treating migraines; however, the FDA has not explicitly approved it for these other conditions. This activity will highlight the mechanism of action, adverse event profile, pharmacology, monitoring, and relevant interactions of metoclopramide, pertinent for interprofessional team members in treating patients with conditions that are of clinical value.