Update on Indications, Interactions And Complications in the Use of Pharmaceuticals

Program Purpose / Objectives

1. Strategies to Reduce Drug Abuse (2 hrs)
• Describe the demographics of prescription and OTC abuse.
• Identify the dangers associated with the nonmedical use of prescription and OTC medications.
• Recognize the patient characteristics and techniques that may suggest the possibility of diversion/mis-use.
• Identify ways to prevent medication abuse in your patients and drug diversion within your practice.
• Compare and contrast challenges with Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and behind the counter status.
2. Self-Care: From Diagnosis to Treatment to Monitoring (3hrs)
• Define self-care and describe patient’s attitude about self-care.
• Discuss the pharmacist role in educating patients about self-care.
• Summarize the pharmacist’s role in assessing and counseling self-treating patients.
• Outline strategies for assessing and counseling patients on the use of OTC products.
• Describe patient’s attitudes about monitoring and diagnostics for self-care.
3. Medication Compliance, Adherence, and Persistency (2hrs)
• Define medication compliance, adherence, and persistency.
• Identify strategies to promote medications adherence.
• Describe the impact of poor adherence on clinical and economic outcomes for patient and stakeholders.
• Debate the rationale for strategies among patients and prescribers to improve adherence.
4. Innovations of Personal Technologies in Health Care (2hrs)
• Describe the benefits and limitations of new technologies for patient care.
• Identify new personal health care technologies and the impact they may have on patient outcomes.
• Recognize the importance of all health care providers sharing of data.
• Explain the new paradigm where patients control access to information to healthcare providers and associated challenges.
5. Pharmaceutical Regulatory Update and Key Product Approvals (2hrs)
• Describe the major content and format changes to prescription drug labeling and the rationale for the changes.
• Outline the FDA's role in post-marketing safety surveillance for medical products.
• Identify ways MedWatch disseminates safety information about medical products.
• Compare and contrast key recent drug approvals with those already used for specific conditions.
• Discuss important patient counseling and therapeutic monitoring considerations for new drugs approvals.
6. Medication Error: A Call to Action (2 hrs)
• Discuss the impact of medication errors on the healthcare system.
• List common sources for miscommunication in health care that can lead to potentially serious medical errors.
• Describe the role of the health care practitioner in monitoring medication safety in patients.
• Review pertinent findings from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Reports related to medication errors.
• Define what constitutes a medication error and list the most common types of errors that occur.
• Describe the necessary points within the medication use system in which technology can be employed to reduce medical errors within health care.
7. Collaborative Practice in Health Care (1hrs)
• Describe the benefits and limitations of collaborative practice models in various patient care settings.
• Recognize the importance of aligning incentives in a “pay for performance” model that includes all providers.
• Describe the elements necessary (patient data) necessary to support improvements in health outcomes.
• Discuss the rationale for collaborative models of care that deliver enhanced patient and economic outcomes

After attending the following session individuals should be able to:

• Identify ways to prevent medication abuse in your patients and drug diversion within your practice.
• Outline strategies for assessing and counseling patients on the use of OTC products.
• Describe patient’s attitudes about monitoring and diagnostics for self-care.
• Describe the impact of poor adherence on clinical and economic outcomes for patient and stakeholders.
• Discuss new personal health care technologies and the impact they may have on patient outcomes.
• Describe the mechanism of action and indications for newly approved drugs.
• Identify challenges and safety concerns regarding the medication approval, post-market surveillance processes, and FDA activities.
• Describe common sources for miscommunication in health care that can lead to potentially serious medical errors.
• Describe the benefits and limitations of collaborative practice models in various patient care settings.

Conference Sessions generally take place during the days at sea (as cruise itinerary allows) to avoid conflicts with Ports of Call or evening entertainment.