Dr Joe Sebastian, consultant neuroanaesthetist from Salford Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Victoria Scott-Warren, specialty trainee from the North Western Deanery, discusses their article 'Dexmedetomidine: its use in intensive care medicine and anaesthesia', published in the July 2016 edition of BJA Education. Topics discussed include recent evidence on dexmedetomidine, its pharmacological mechanism, and clinical tips for its use.