Free Pharmacist CPE

Understanding pharmacologic management of disease is a crucial aspect of providing high-quality medical care. Our courses offer practical guidance on pharmacologic management of disease processes to avoid potentially negative interactions between substances. Choose from a variety of free pharmacology CME/CE courses to improve care for your patients. Earn credits at no cost today.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) occurs at an estimated rate of five to ten per 1,000 hospital admissions and is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infection in the United States. It is defined as pneumonia that develops at least 48 hours after hospital admission and did not appear to be incubating at the time of admission. A significant subset of HAP that occurs most frequently in intensive care units (ICUs) is ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), which is defined as pneumonia that occurs more than 48 to 72 hours after tracheal intubation and is thought to affect approximately 10 to 20% of patients who receive mechanical ventilation for more than 48 hours. Altered mechanical defenses, such as impaired ciliary motion and mucus secretion, increase the susceptibility for acquiring pneumonia in intubated patients, with over 90% of pneumonia episodes that develop in ICUs occurring in patients who are intubated or mechanically ventilated.

Target Audience:
HCPs including: pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, and intensivists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in infectious disease or critical care; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or clinically encounter patients with HAP or VAP.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:
In this online, self-learning activity:

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common infections in the world, affecting approximately 50% of the world’s population and 36% of the U.S. population, with a higher prevalence in Blacks, Hispanics, and those of lower socioeconomic status. Most patients are asymptomatic, but H. pylori is the major cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease, and it is a risk factor for duodenal ulcers and gastric cancer. H. pylori may be diagnosed by endoscopy or noninvasive testing, including urea breath testing, stool antigen assay, or H. pylori serology.

Target Audience:
HCPs including: gastroenterologists and primary care providers; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in gastroenterology; and any other HCPs involved or interested in the treatment of H. pylori infection.

In this online, self-learning activity:

Since the discovery and development of vaccines, historical leaps have been made on public health, contributing to longevity and reduced burden of infectious diseases. Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Expanded Program on Immunization in 1974, 154 million deaths from smallpox, tuberculosis, measles, and other infectious diseases have been avoided, especially in children under the age of 5. Between 2000 to 2019, immunization has expanded its reach in infectious targets and helped prevent about 37 million deaths from 10 vaccine-preventable deaths. Despite vaccines being a cost-effective method for reducing severe consequences of infection and high-cost treatments, vaccination rates have been decreasing amongst the general public, failing to meet national and global goals. The cause is multi-factorial and complex, requiring understanding in human behavior, internal biases, and external circumstances to explore how an individual navigates the process of deciding whether or not to be vaccinated.