Reducing Complications of Influenza: Update on the Use of Antiviral Agents in Vulnerable Patients

Reducing Complications of Influenza: Update on the Use of Antiviral Agents in Vulnerable Patients

Release Date: October 28, 2019

Last Reviewed: October 21, 2019

Expiration Date: October 28, 2020

Time to Complete Activity: 1.0 hour

*This activity expired for credit on October 28, 2020 and is no longer available for credit

This activity is jointly provided by Educational Review Systems, Inc and Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC.

Faculty

Jason E. Bowling, MD, FIDSA

Associate Professor

Department of Medicine

Division of Infectious Diseases

UT Health San Antonio

San Antonio, TX

James S. Lewis II, PharmD, FIDSA

Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Supervisor

Co-Director, Antibiotic Stewardship

Departments of Pharmacy and Infectious Diseases

Oregon Health & Science University

Portland, OR

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to address the educational needs of community, health-system, and hospital pharmacists. It may also benefit other clinicians involved in the care of patients with, or at risk for, influenza virus infection.

Statement of Need

While influenza infection can be serious in any patient, those in high-risk groups are most susceptible to negative sequelae, including pneumonia, hospitalization, and death. Therefore, rapid identification and treatment of patients who are at high risk for influenza-related complications is strongly recommended by professional and government guidelines. This fast-paced, case-based activity will acquaint pharmacists with the latest updates on diagnostic testing and treatment (including the first novel antiviral therapy approved for the treatment of influenza in 20 years), so they are prepared to confidently counsel patients and colleagues on the best uses of these important strategies.

Learning Objectives

Upon proper completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Identify appropriate candidates for antiviral therapy based on risk for influenza-related complications, in accordance with current guideline recommendations
Determine the need for influenza treatment based on patient signs, symptoms, and accurate interpretation of appropriate diagnostic tests when necessary
Evaluate the latest safety and efficacy data for novel antiviral treatment to determine its role in the influenza treatment paradigm

Table of Contents

Introduction
Case Studies: Identifying Candidates for Antiviral Therapy
Antiviral Therapy for Influenza Treatment

Accreditation and Designation Statement

Educational Review Systems is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program is approved for 1.0 hours (0.10 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy education credit. Proof of participation will be posted to your NABP CPE profile within 4 to 6 weeks to participants who have successfully completed the post-test. Participants must participate in the entire presentation and complete the course evaluation to receive continuing pharmacy education credit. (Universal Activity Number – 0761-9999-19-029-H01-P, 0761-9999-19-029-H01-T)

This is a knowledge-based activity.

Disclosure of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech, Inc.

Instructions for Participation

To receive CPE credit, you should:

Follow instructions to register or log in with your professional information and complete the
pre-activity assessment
View the online activity in its entirety
Complete and submit the online posttest and evaluation

A statement of participation will be available for download/printing immediately following your successful completion of the posttest and evaluation.

Please note: To claim CPE credit, please make sure you include your date of birth and NABP number. All credit information will be uploaded into CPE Monitor within 30 days.

For questions regarding CPE credit, contact the Paradigm CME Department at (845) 398-5949.

There is no fee required for participation in this activity.

Hardware/Software Requirements

This certified CPE activity is designed using HTML5 video and audio. As you navigate the video using the supplied controls, the slides will sync to the speaker.

Supported Browsers:

For desktops (Windows/Mac)

Internet Explorer 9 or higher, Firefox 28 or higher, Safari 5.1 or higher, Google Chrome 31 or higher, Opera 21 or higher

For Tablets (iPad/Android/Surface)

iOS Safari 4 or higher, Android 2.3 or higher, IE Mobile 10 or higher

Technical Support: If you have any technical problems or playback issues, email us at contactus@paradigmmc.com.

Disclosures

In accordance with ACPE requirements on disclosure, faculty and contributors are asked to disclose any relationships with commercial interests associated with the area of medicine featured in the activity. These relationships are described below.

Faculty

Jason E. Bowling, MD

No financial relationships to disclose.

James S. Lewis II, PharmD, FIDSA

Retained Consultant: Merck & Co., Inc; Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals

Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC, staff members have no financial relationships to disclose.

Educational Review Systems, Inc., staff members have no financial relationships to disclose.

Resolution of Conflict of Interest

Educational Review Systems, Inc. and Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC have implemented a system to resolve conflicts of interest for each CPE activity to help ensure content objectivity, independence, fair balance, and that the content is aligned with the interest of the public. Conflicts, if any, are resolved through one or more processes. All CPE content in this activity was independently reviewed to ensure that it is free of commercial bias, scientifically rigorous, aligned with the public interest, and compliant with all regulatory guidance and the ACPE guidelines.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA.

Disclaimer

This CPE activity represents the views and opinions of the individual faculty, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, Educational Review Systems, Inc. or Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC. Reasonable efforts have been taken to present educational subject matter in a balanced, unbiased fashion, and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each activity participant must always use his or her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.

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Disclaimer

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The submission of certain personally identifiable information is necessary to award and track the credits participants may earn after completing the program. Required items include first name, last name, degree, and email address. These items are necessary. Participants are also required to complete an evaluation of the CPE activity. All evaluative information submitted is collected and retained, and used by Educational Review Systems, Inc., and Paradigm Medical Communications, LLC, to continuously improve the learning experience.

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