This product is an ASHP Learning Center activity.
Accreditation
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education with Commendation.
Target Audience
These activities are designed for pharmacists who are interested in expanding their knowledge and skills in specialty pharmacy fertility management.
Overview
The Specialty Pharmacy Certificate is self-guided, with online learning activities that have been created for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians seeking to expand their skills in specialty pharmacy.
A learner begins with the Specialty Pharmacy Fundamentals, where the well-rounded curriculum gives the essential information on business models and operations of specialty pharmacies, patient management, specialty pharmacy accreditations, structuring outcomes to determine value within a specialty pharmacy, and specialty pharmacy disease state overviews. In order to move to the next step, a learner will need to pass the comprehensive assessment of the fundamental material.
The learner will then take a deep dive into their selected specialty focus with the Fertility Management Track. These topics include a review of the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive system and contraception, indications for fertility treatments, fertility evaluations and appropriate treatment choice, medications for oral ovulation induction, and medications for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.
Professional Certificate Requirement
Once a learner has completed the Specialty Pharmacy Fundamentals and the Fertility Maangement track educational curriculum, they will have the opportunity to complete the track final exam. Once the learner successfully completes the track final exam (minimum 80% passing rate; unlimited attempts permitted), they will earn the professional certificate.
Educational Activities
Specialty Pharmacy 101
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-735-H04-P & T
Knowledge-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Explain key specialty pharmacy terms and abbreviations.
- Compare stakeholder priorities in specialty pharmacy.
- Summarize key elements in the landscape of specialty pharmacy.
Specialty Pharmacy Organizational Models and Program Designs
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-736-H04-P & T
Application-based
1.75 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the three types of procurement models for sourcing medications administered in a health care setting (white/brown/clear bagging).
- Apply the appropriate billing method(s) for specialty medications.
- Identify differences among four different specialty pharmacy organizational structures.
- Develop a new specialty pharmacy business plan.
- Identify considerations for developing a specialty pharmacy program.
Specialty Pharmacy Patient Management
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-737-H04-P & T
Application-based
1.25 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Explain specialty pharmacy documentation requirements.
- Discuss the tenets of specialty medication monitoring.
- Describe multidisciplinary collaborative opportunities in specialty pharmacy.
- Apply specialty medication patient education and counseling principles.
- Assess specialty medication adherence.
- Describe medication error and adverse event reporting methods.
Introduction to Specialty Pharmacy Medications
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-738-H04-P & T
Application-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Contrast generic medications with biosimilar products.
- Explain the elements of safe medication handling and disposal.
- Evaluate strategies for drug access.
Operations: The Backbone of Specialty Pharmacy
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-739-H04-P & T
Application-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate the roles of specialty pharmacy staff from retail and hospital pharmacy staff.
- Explain the main steps of the specialty pharmacy supply chain.
- Predict potential challenges associated with specialty medication delivery.
From Prescription to Patient: A Specialty Medication's Journey
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-740-H04-P & T
Application-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Define the important elements of a specialty prescription.
- Analyze potential issues associated with ordering a specialty medication.
- Describe a specialty medication benefits investigation and prior authorization.
- Assess specialty prescription dispensing factors.
- Summarize the specialty prescription verification process.
- Differentiate specialty prescription delivery requirements and methods.
From Diagnosis to Treatment: The Journey for Patients with Specialty Conditions
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-741-H04-P & T
Application-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize financial assistance options for patients with specialty conditions and serving the underserved.
- Differentiate between manufacturer-provided and pharmacy-provided patient education resources.
- Interpret patient satisfaction results.
Specialty Pharmacy Accreditation and Certifications
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-742-H04-P & T
Application-based
1 contact hour
Learning Objectives:
- Define specialty pharmacy accreditation.
- Assess the importance and benefits of specialty pharmacy accreditation.
- Categorize the different specialty pharmacy accreditations available.
- Differentiate between various pharmacist and pharmacy technician certifications.
Outcomes and Value of Specialty Pharmacy
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-743-H04-P & T
Application-based
2.5 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the need and methods to collect, track, and report disease-specific outcomes in specialty pharmacy practice.
- Select clinical performance outcomes measures to collect, based on key institution, patient, disease state, and stakeholder requirement factors.
- Design quality improvement initiatives to advance outcomes monitoring and response.
- Measure the clinical and economic impact of specialty pharmacy staff actions.
- Assess how the hub-and-spoke information dissemination model promotes the value of specialty pharmacy.
- Apply operational and financial metrics to assess specialty pharmacy performance.
- Critique specialty pharmacy performance based on a scorecard.
Common Specialty Pharmacy Service Lines
ACPE: 0204-0000-23-744-H04-P & T
Application-based
2 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize the basics of inflammatory diseases.
- Summarize the basics of oncology and hematology.
- Summarize the basics of neurology.
- Summarize the basics of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis.
- Summarize the basics of cystic fibrosis.
- Summarize the basics of hemophilia and PAH.
Indications for Fertility Treatments
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-724-H01-P
Knowledge-based
2.5 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the influence of hormones on female reproduction.
- Describe the influence of hormones on male reproduction.
- Differentiate the physiological steps of conception.
- List the most common causes for patients seeking fertility treatment.
- Predict potential risk for infertility or need for fertility treatment based on patient demographics.
- Compare female versus male factors for infertility.
- Differentiate how factors of infertility impact different stages of conception.
- Compare pathophysiologic states that impact female fertility, including ovulation and hormone function.
- Compare pathophysiologic states that impact male fertility, including sperm quality and quantity.
- Describe non-physiologic reasons for seeking fertility treatment.
- Assess a patient's/couples' summative indications for fertility treatments.
Fertility Evaluation and Appropriate Treatment Choice
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-725-H01-P
Application-based
1.25 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Summarize components of infertility physical evaluation and history.
- Counsel pre-pregnancy patients on nutrition and vitamins, including folic acid supplementation.
- Interpret results of laboratory testing to identify patients with ovulatory dysfunction.
- Modify a clomiphene citrate regimen based upon ovulation induction results.
- Develop a treatment plan for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Explain the role of estradiol in the treatment of a thin endometrium in patients undergoing fertility treatment.
- Differentiate mechanisms of action for clomiphene citrate and letrozole.
- Compare adverse associated with clomiphene citrate and letrozole.
- Assess role of fertility-awareness methods, such as ovulation detection kits and cervical mucus monitoring.
Medications for Oral Ovulation Induction
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-726-H01-P
Application-based
4 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Define the process and goals of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).
- Identify the consequences of COH, including symptoms, adverse effects, and complications.
- Differentiate the medication classes used for COH, including an example medication in each class.
- Summarize the pharmacology of the COH medication classes.
- Analyze synchronous use of multiple medication classes, including the clinical management required.
- Assess commonly used regimens that employ different COH medication classes.
- Differentiate ideal patient characteristics for selection of different medications or regimens.
- Evaluate a patient’s response to the medications based on labs, imaging, and outcome.
- Recommend medication changes based on previous treatment failures.
Faculty Information
Nicole Cieri-Hutcherson, PharmD, BCPS, NCMP
Assistant Professor of Experiential Education
Clinical Associate Professor
University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Buffalo, New York
Dana Harman, PharmD, MBA, CSP
Specialty Pharmacy Manager
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, Missouri
Alexis Ireland, PharmD, RPh
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Infertility
University of Iowa for Advanced Reproductive Care
Iowa City, Iowa
Michelle Lamb, PharmD, FASCP
Director of Pharmacy
Planned Parenthood Great Plains
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bernice Man, PharmD, BCSP, CSP, CPHQ
Clinical Pharmacy Manager
University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago, Illinois
Ashley Nixon-Mongler, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, Missouri
Rachael Smith, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist
The University of Kansas Health System
Kansas City, Kansas
Autumn Zuckerman, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVP, CSP
Director, Health Outcomes and Research
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, Tennessee
Relevant Financial Relationship Disclosure
In accordance with our accreditor’s Standards of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, ASHP requires that all individuals in control of content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if they have had a financial relationship with ineligible company in any dollar amount in the past 24 months and the educational content that the individual controls is related to the business lines or products of the ineligible company.
An ineligible company is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. The presence or absence of relevant financial relationships will be disclosed to the activity audience.
No one in control of the content of this activity has a relevant financial relationship (RFR) with an ineligible company.
As defined by the Standards of Integrity and Independence definition of ineligible company.
Methods and CE Requirements
This online activity consists of a combined total of 13 learning modules. Pharmacists are eligible to receive a total of 21.25 hours of continuing education credit by completing all 13 modules within this professional certificate. Pharmacy technicians are eligible to receive a total of 13.5 hours of continuing education credit by completing the 10 modules within the Specialty Pharmacy Fundamentals.
Each activity consists of audio, video, and/or PDFs and evaluations. Learners must review all content and complete the evaluations to receive continuing pharmacy education credit for each activity.
Follow the prompts to claim, view, or print the statement of credit within 60 days after completing the activity.
Important Note – ACPE 60 Day Deadline:
Per ACPE requirements, CPE credit must be claimed within 60 days of being earned. To verify that you have completed the required steps and to ensure your credits have been reported to CPE Monitor, check your NABP profile account to validate that your credits were transferred successfully before the ACPE 60-day deadline. After the 60-day deadline, ASHP will no longer be able to award credit for this activity.
ASHP PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATESSM contain learning activities that are ACPE-accredited knowledge and application-based continuing education. This is not an ACPE Certificate Program. Upon successful completion of the activities, the learner will be able to download an ASHP Professional Certificate.
System Technical Requirements
System requirements courses and learning activities are delivered via your web browser and Acrobat PDF. Users should have a basic comfort level using a computer and navigating web sites. View the minimum technical and system requirements for learning activities.