Continuing Education Information

The programs will be accredited for pharmacists, nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians. Social workers, psychologists, students and other health professionals interested in minority health and health disparity issues and in updating their knowledge of recent advances in the management and treatment of diseases affecting minority patients will also benefit. Click here for additional continuing education information.

>Click here to view the complete conference schedule-at-a-glance.

Friday, May 16

1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.                       

Opening Session: Eliminating Health Disparities Through Multidisciplinary Partnerships

ACPE #204-000-08-411-L04P                       1.75 contact hours (0.175 CEUs)

This session will provide an overview of regional and national trends surrounding health disparities, specifically chronic diseases, health care access and life expectancy. In addition, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to eliminate health disparities will be discussed with a focus on the role that pharmacists can play.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe regional and national trends related to health disparities.
  • Discuss the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to eliminate health disparities.
  • Identify at least two ways in which pharmacists can help eliminate health disparities.

Keynote Speaker:
Kathleen B. Kennedy, Pharm.D.
Malcolm Ellington Professor of Pharmacy
Associate Dean
Director, Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education
Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy
New Orleans, Louisiana

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.                       

Applying Evidence-Based Guidelines for Antithrombotic Agents in the Prevention and Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)

ACPE #204-000-08-413-L01P           1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Race and ethnicity may be important factors in the risk of first-time and recurrent VTE.  This interactive program will review diagnosis of VTE, risk factors, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, as well as the pharmacology and monitoring requirements of antithrombotic agents. Opportunities to engage in interactive questions about VTE risk assessment and the application of The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) guidelines for the prevention and treatment of VTE will be provided.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe the clinical and economic burden, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and diagnosis of VTE and risk factors for VTE.
  • Compare and contrast the pharmacologic effects, monitoring requirements, and role of various antithrombotic agents in patients with or at risk for VTE.
  • Assess the risk for VTE in a hospitalized patient with acute medical illness and a surgical patient and recommend appropriate prophylactic antithrombotic therapy.
  • Recommend appropriate antithrombotic therapy and monitoring for a patient with VTE.
  • Explain the rationale for ACCP guidelines for antithrombotic therapy in patients with or at risk for VTE based on the results of key clinical trials.

Faculty

Katherine W. Phillips, Pharm.D., CACP
Clinical Specialist – Anticoagulation
Boston Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts

This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Current Issues in Recognizing and Managing Diabetes in Minority Populations

ACPE #204-000-08-409-L01P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Minorities are at greater risk for the development of diabetes and diabetes-associated complications.  This session will review disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes in minority populations, with a special emphasis on identifying patients at risk for poor outcomes.  Strategies for achieving therapeutic goals through appropriate glycemic control and improving patient outcomes through increased adherence to therapy will also be described.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Explain the cultural and socioeconomic contributors to health care disparities in the management of diabetes.
  • Engage in a meaningful education session with a minority patient about diabetes management.
  • Recommend treatment strategies for diabetes management that take into consideration cultural and socioeconomic factors, patientsŐ risks for complications, and factors that may contribute to non-adherence to therapy. 

Faculty

Marisa Soto, Pharm.D., CDE
Clinical Pharmacist
El Rio Community Health Center – Pascua Yaqui
Tucson, Arizona

Curtis L. Triplitt, Pharm.D., CDE
Clinical Specialist
Texas Diabetes Institute
San Antonio, Texas

Saturday, May 17

7:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.

Addressing Health Care Disparities in Colorectal Cancer: Optimizing Therapeutic Outcomes in African Americans with Advanced or Metastatic Disease

ACPE #204-000-08-407-L01P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death in African Americans. The NCCN clinical practice guidelines for patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer will be reviewed, emphasizing recent updates that incorporate clinical research data for new chemotherapeutic agents. Topics will include the role of these new chemotherapeutic agents in treating advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer, strategies for overcoming barriers to optimizing clinical outcomes, and improving prevention and screening among African Americans.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Compare and contrast the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer in African Americans and whites.
  • Describe the mechanism of action, impact on survival, and role in therapy of at least one new chemotherapeutic agent used for advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer.
  • Identify a potential barrier to achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes in an African American patient with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer and possible strategies for overcoming it.
  • Identify a potential strategy for promoting screening for colorectal cancer in African Americans.

Faculty

Susan Goodin, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCOP
Director, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Professor of Medicine
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Edith P. Mitchell, M.D., FACP
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Medical Oncology
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This activity is supported by educational grants from Amgen and the Bristol-Myers Squibb/ImClone Systems Incorporated Partnership.

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Overcoming Barriers to Effective Treatment of Depression in Minority Populations

ACPE #204-000-08-408-L01P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Large disparities exist in the diagnosis and management of depression in American minorities compared with the total U.S. population, even though depression is one of the most treatable mental illnesses.  This program will feature a combination of lecture and case studies, using an automated audience response system to facilitate attendee participation. Faculty will describe depression in minority patients, focusing on the challenges to diagnosis and treatment. Successful treatment modalities will be described and applied to specific patient cases.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Develop strategies useful in primary-care settings for identifying depression in minority patients.
  • List at least three potential methods for overcoming cultural barriers to the treatment of depression.   
  • Design a patient-specific treatment plan for initial and maintenance depression therapy.
  • Describe at least two patient counseling techniques for promoting adherence to depression therapy among minority populations.

Faculty

Jason Noel, Pharm.D., BCPP
Assistant Professor
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
Baltimore, Maryland

Joe Westermeyer, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
Adjunct Professor of Anthropology
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company.

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.                       

Using Motivational Interviewing to Improve Treatment Adherence (Part 1)

ACPE #204-000-08-406-L05P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Each year millions of people suffer from drug-related morbidity and mortality as a result of non-adherence to therapy.  This two-part program will provide health care providers with skills necessary to develop a dialogue with patients, assess patients' understanding of their illness and its treatment, and determine their readiness to adopt behaviors necessary for changes associated with treatment adherence.  Part I of this program will focus on key factors in assessing a patient's motivation to adhere to a medication regimen. Registrants are encouraged to attend both programs to obtain the maximum learning experience.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • List conditions necessary for improving adherence.
  • Identify factors that affect rates of adherence.
  • Explain why the rate of adherence to medication regimens has not changed appreciably in 40 years.
  • List and explain the shortcomings of the principle mode of health care provider-patient communication. 
  • Identify key factors in assessing a patient's motivation to adhere to a medication regimen.

Faculty

Bruce A. Berger, Ph.D.
Head and Professor of Pharmacy Care Systems

Auburn University, Alabama

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Applying ACC/AHA Guidelines to Anticoagulant Therapy in the Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome

ACPE #204-000-08-414-L01P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

African Americans have the highest overall coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rate and the highest out-of-hospital coronary death rate of any ethnic group in the United States, particularly at younger ages. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recently published evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients with NSTE ACS and STEMI, and anticoagulant therapy plays a vital role in the management of both conditions.  This program will include an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and patient presentation of NSTE ACS and STEMI, and the pharmacology of anticoagulant agents.  Case studies will be used to illustrate the application of ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of NSTE ACS and STEMI in clinical practice. 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe the clinical and economic burden, pathophysiology, and patient presentation of ACS.
  • Compare and contrast the pharmacologic effects and role of various anticoagulant agents in patients with ACS.
  • Explain the rationale for ACC/AHA guidelines for anticoagulant therapy in patients with NSTE ACS or STEMI based on the results of key clinical trials.
  • Discuss the role of evidence-based guidelines in performance measurement to improve the quality of care provided to patients with ACS.

Faculty

Toby C. Trujillo, Pharm.D., BCPS
Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of Colorado School of Pharmacy
Clinical Coordinator
University of Colorado Hospital
Denver, Colorado

This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.                       

Using Motivational Interviewing to Improve Treatment Adherence (Part II)

ACPE #204-000-08-416-L05P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Part II of this program will focus on motivational interviewing, a very specific and validated method of interpersonal skills used to understand patients' representations of their illnesses and treatment and motivate a commitment to change. Health care providers will learn how to use this technique to explore a patient's ambivalence and concerns in order to facilitate the patientŐs movement through the necessary stages of change.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • List the conditions necessary for self-regulated behavior.
  • Differentiate between the stages of change in regard to motivational strategies.
  • Discuss the principles of motivational interviewing.
  • Distinguish between arguing, rolling with resistance, and developing discrepancies.
  • Incorporate principles of motivational interviewing into their practices and their daily lives.

Faculty

Bruce A. Berger, Ph.D.
Head and Professor of Pharmacy Care Systems
Auburn University, Alabama

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Impact of the Medicare Modernization Act: Challenges for Pharmacists

ACPE #204-000-07-449-L03P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act (MMA), implemented January 1, 2006, prompted additional far-reaching changes in the reimbursement of pharmaceuticals, not the least of which was the addition of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and additional changes in Medicare Part B.  This program will explore the continuing evolution of pharmaceutical reimbursement, including pharmacy patient assistance programs.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe several recent changes in pharmaceutical reimbursement for outpatient pharmaceuticals under the Medicare Part B and D benefits.
  • Discuss example strategies implemented by selected health systems for addressing reimbursement changes. 
  • List several resources to assist health care providers in keeping abreast of changes in reimbursement.
  • Describe the impact of changes in pharmaceutical reimbursement on patient care delivery and pharmacy practice. 

Faculty

Jerry Siegel, Pharm.D., FASHP
Senior Director of Pharmaceutical Services
The Ohio State University Hospitals
The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy
Columbus, Ohio
 
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Amgen.

 

Sunday, May 18

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Providing Quality Antithrombotic Therapy: Meeting the Challenge of National Performance Measures

ACPE #204-000-08-415-L03P                       1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEUs)

Reducing the likelihood of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy has been established as a 2008 National Patient Safety Goal by the Joint Commission. This program will provide perspectives on the development of performance measures, describe the magnitude of the problem with antithrombotic therapy for patients with or at risk for VTE or with ACS, and outline national performance measures for antithrombotic therapy. 

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe a documented problem with antithrombotic therapy that served as impetus for quality initiatives to address the problem.
  • Identify a national health care quality organization and explain its quality initiatives related to antithrombotic use in patients with or at risk for VTE or with ACS.
  • Define the potential role of pharmacists and other health care providers in the implementation of performance measures to improve the quality of antithrombotic therapy.
  • Develop a strategy to reduce harm from anticoagulants in patients with or at risk for VTE or with ACS.

Faculty

Jay Groce, Pharm.D., CACP
Professor
Campbell University School of Pharmacy
Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Greensboro, North Carolina
 
This activity is supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S.
 

9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Closing Session: Communication Strategies for Working Effectively with Diverse Populations

ACPE #204-000-08-412-L04P                       1.25 contact hours (0.125 CEUs)

In order to apply and incorporate the knowledge and skills presented at this conference successfully into daily practice and patient care, providers must be able to communicate effectively with patients and families. This session will provide participants with practical strategies for communicating effectively with diverse populations in any practice setting.

At the conclusion of this activity, attendees should be able to:

  • Describe current demographic trends impacting provider-patient interactions.
  • Explain the influence of provider-patient racial/ethnic concordance on communication.
  • Describe strategies for eliciting patient’s health and healing beliefs and practices.
  • Identify factors that affect efficient and accurate communication when working with interpreters.
  • Describe strategies for working effectively with trained and untrained medical interpreters.
Faculty
Mitra Assemi, Pharm.D.
Program Director, Fresno Pharmacy Education Program (PEP)
Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, UCSF School of Pharmacy
UCSF Fresno
Pharmacy Education Program
Fresno, California

These activities are sponsored by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

Supported by educational grants from sanofi-aventis U.S., Eli Lilly and Company, Amgen, Merck, Pfizer Inc., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., AstraZeneca, and Bristol-Myers Squibb/ImClone Systems Incorporated Partnership.