CE PRN® Pharmacy Continuing Education Courses 2020

During times of pandemic there are many tasks that community pharmacists must complete in order to continue to provide the best care possible for all of their patients all while keeping themselves and their co-workers safe. Many pharmacists have questions regarding the provision of advanced patient care services such as immunizations during a pandemic. Through this monograph we will discuss the importance of adult immunizations and how to administer immunizations effectively and safely in the midst of a pandemic.

Sterile compounding is a unique and critical skill of both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. In order to become proficient in such skills, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of the supplies and materials utilized when compounding sterile products. Not every pharmacist responsible for compounding sterile products or overseeing the sterile compounding process may have the necessary level of foundational knowledge or experience needed, thus a foundational review of compounding supplies will be beneficial to those who find themselves in these roles. Similarly, many pharmacy technicians responsible for compounding sterile products but are who inexperienced in this area will likely benefit from a thorough review of available compounding supplies. This activity is designed to introduce the learner to the some of the supplies used to compound sterile products. It will provide thorough descriptions of these supplies and aid the learner in understanding how to both select and use the appropriate supplies when engaging in sterile compounding activities. Additionally, it will address pertinent safety concerns that arise when working with such supplies.

This monograph explains why some currently marketed drugs that are dispensed by pharmacists have not been approved by the FDA. The process through which the FDA is currently reviewing unapproved drugs is discussed. Legal case studies are used to illustrate the factors that can lead to the marketing of unapproved drugs and the challenges faced in pharmacy when evaluating the safety and efficacy of unapproved drugs in the care of specific patients.

This lesson highlights a few key, clinically relevant examples of ADRs with pharmacogenetic mechanisms.
The goals of this lesson are to: explain the differences in drug response that may occur due to genetic variations of patients.

This monograph discusses the legal responsibility of pharmacists for errors in their product distribution role. The liability exposure of pharmacists for order processing error is examined. The legal case study method is used to demonstrate how pharmacists may be held liable for dispensing errors and how pharmacists may successfully defend themselves in cases alleging liability for dispensing errors.

A thorough medication review is essential in patients receiving cancer therapy. An important element to discuss is the use of herbal medications with cancer patients. Patients may use herbal supplements for a variety of reasons; to treat their cancer, mitigate side effects, and appease a friend or family member. This program will discuss the use of herbal supplements in cancer patients, and review some of the more common agents used focusing on potential herbal-disease and herbal-drug interactions and concerns.

Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune condition in the US, affecting 7.5 million people. It is a complex, genetically linked disease; 1 in every 3 patients with psoriasis has a relative with the condition. The human and economic tolls are signifi­cant. Patients with psoriasis have lower quality of life scores, along with increased occurrences of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. In the US, more than $63 million is spent an­nually in direct healthcare costs for psoriasis.

Currently, there is no cure; however, a variety of treat­ments (topical, systemic, phototherapy) are available to manage symptoms, minimize disease progression, and improve quality of life. Since the early 2000s, research into the immunopatho­genesis of psoriasis has led to the development of biologic agents that target specific components of the immune system. Despite the availability of multiple treatments, patients with psoriasis in the US are often under treated, or untreated. Untreated or under treated psoriasis leads to disseminated disease and poten­tially, to joint impairment in the form of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which causes pain and stiffness of affected joints.

While psoriasis treatment guidelines recommend that trained specialty providers prescribe systemic therapies for patients with this disease, community practitioners should have a sufficient knowledge base to monitor treatment. Frequent patient interactions allow community practitioners, including pharmacists and nurse practitioners, to play an important role in psoriasis management. This issue will review basic information about cutaneous psoriasis and summarize various treatments, so practitioners can better manage and educate patients.

The first biosimilar, Zarxio, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015. Since then, 18 other biosimilars have been approved in the U.S. however less than half of them are commercially available on the market. The average whole sale prices of these biosimilars are approximately 15% to 60% lower than that of their respective reference products. In spite of the potential cost savings to health plans and patients, the adoption of biosimilars in the U.S. has been slow. It is important for healthcare providers to understand the current landscape of biosimilars, the agents that are available, their indications, and place in therapy.