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 management of advanced pulmonary disease states.
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 Advanced Pulmonary Disease States Track. These topics include pulmonary structure and inhaled products overview, severe asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) management, interstitial lung disease (ILD), and pulmonary hypertension (PH).
Professional Certificate Requirement
Once a learner has completed the Specialty Pharmacy Fundamentals and the Advanced Pulmonary Disease States 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.
Pulmonary Structure and Inhaled Products Overview
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-727-H01-P
Knowledge-based
2 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the role and function of key components of the pulmonary system.
- Describe factors that influence the deposition of inhaled medications in the airways.
- Discuss strategies that optimize delivery of medications to the lungs.
Severe Asthma and COPD
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-728-H01-P
Application-based
1.25 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate between difficult-to-treat and severe asthma.
- Compare predictors of response across asthma biologics to aid in therapy choice for severe asthma treatment.
- Design a therapy monitoring plan to assess the safety and efficacy of a given asthma biologic.
- Identify characteristics that would suggest a patient is a candidate for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency testing.
- Develop key counseling points and considerations for patients starting treatment for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.
Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-729-H01-P
Application-based
2.5 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Differentiate diagnostic criteria for the major subtypes of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).
- Select appropriate patient monitoring for an ILD subtype.
- Evaluate the role of corticosteroids in the acute management of ILD.
- Assess the immunosuppressant (steroidal or nonsteroidal/steroid-sparing) therapeutic options for the treatment of ILD.
- Evaluate the biologic therapeutic options for the treatment of ILD.
- Assess the role of antifibrotic options for the treatment of ILD.
- Identify adverse effects by therapeutic drug class for treatment of ILD.
- Explain the barriers for ILD treatment options, including limited distribution, cost, and patient-specific factors.
- Given a patient case, design a therapeutic plan for the treatment for a major subtypes of ILD, including monitoring for efficacy and safety.
- Given a patient case, recommend alternatives for treatment-related side effects in a patient on a specific therapeutic option.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)
ACPE: 0204-0000-24-730-H01-P
Application-based
4 contact hours
Learning Objectives:
- Use right heart catheterization and hemodynamic values to identify the clinical classifications of pulmonary hypertension.
- Choose appropriate treatment strategies for patients with groups 2-5 pulmonary hypertension.
- Identify the WHO functional class for PAH patients based on self-reported symptoms and limitations.
- Evaluate patient-specific risk factors to quantify disease severity in patients with PAH.
- Interpret a vasodilatory test for use in the treatment management of PAH patients.
- Identify the primary treatment targets in PAH and the drug classes within each pathway.
- Compare treatment options for high-risk PAH patients.
- Modify treatment plans based on patient-specific parameters (drug-drug interactions, side effects, renal function, etc.)
- Choose a treatment regimen for a newly diagnosed PAH patient based on patient-specific risk factors used to quantify disease severity.
- Design an appropriate monitoring plan for patients initiated on pulmonary vasodilator therapy.
- Identify strategies to address barriers associated with transitioning PAH therapies between care settings.
- Identify barriers to initiation of PAH-targeted therapies in the acute care setting.
Faculty Information
Heidi Brink, PharmD, BCPS, BCCP
Associate Professor
Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor - Cardiology & Cardiothoracic Transplant
Omaha, Nebraska
Megan Fleischman, PharmD, BCACP
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Concordia University Wisconsin - School of Pharmacy
Mequon, Wisconsin
Specialist Pharmacist
Froedtert Health
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Dana Harman, PharmD, MBA, CSP
Specialty Pharmacy Manager
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, Missouri
Bernice Man, PharmD, BCSP, CSP, CPHQ
Clinical Pharmacy Manager
University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago, Illinois
Amber Lanae Martirosov, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP
Associate Clinical Professor
Wayne State University
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Ambulatory Care
Henry Ford Health
Detroit, Michigan
Ashley Nixon-Mongler, PharmD, BCACP
Clinical Pharmacist
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, Missouri
Dennis Williams, PharmD, BCPS, AE-C, FASHP, FAPHA, FCCP
Associate Professor
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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 14 learning modules. Pharmacists are eligible to receive a total of 23.25 hours of continuing education credit by completing all 14 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 PRFESSIONAL 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.