Levothyroxine

Excerpt

Oral levothyroxine is primarily indicated for treating primary, secondary, and tertiary hypothyroidism. Primary hypothyroidism is when the problem occurs in the thyroid gland. Secondary hypothyroidism is when the problem is in the pituitary gland, and there is a decrease in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Tertiary hypothyroidism is sporadic. Additionally, levothyroxine has FDA approval for pituitary thyrotropin suppression as an adjunct to surgery and radioiodine therapy to manage thyrotropin-dependent well-differentiated thyroid cancer. This activity covers important information about prescribing levothyroxine, including mechanism of action, pharmacology, adverse event profiles, eligible patient populations, and monitoring, and highlights the interprofessional team's role in managing various forms of hypothyroidism with levothyroxine.