Pharmacology Specialty CE Courses for Nursing Professionals

Course expiration date: 7/18/2021

This course covers the epidemiology, causes and risk factors of addiction. It discusses the diagnosis of substance use disorders and offers a brief overview of medications used to treat withdrawal. The course gives detailed information on the medications used to treat opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder and tobacco use disorder.

Course release date: 9/20/2019
Course expiration date: 9/20/2022

This course provides an overview of the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances for advanced practice nurses and all nurses who are responsible for the safe and effective prescribing practices for controlled substances.  The course presents three of the most common disease states that warrant more frequent prescribing of controlled substances. 

Course release date: 12/5/2018
Course expiration date: 12/5/2021

This course provides an overview of select illicit substances and their use in the United States, signs and symptoms of these drugs use as well as immediate and long-term interventions.

Course release date: 7/8/2019
Course expiration date: 7/8/2022

Course expiration date: 7/13/2021

This educational program illustrates the critical role of blood clotting in maintaining vasculature integrity and various pathologies that can result when inappropriate coagulation occurs. An overview is provided giving insight to the use of representative antiplatelet, anticoagulation and thrombolytic agents to counter improper clotting.

Course expiration date: 1/17/2021

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is often used as a broad term to describe many levels of decreased kidney function, from mildly decreased renal output to severe kidney failure. About 14% of the general population in the United States is affected by CKD. People with chronic kidney disease are also at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, which occurs in nearly 70% of CKD patients aged over 65 years. It is imperative that nurses acquire the knowledge necessary to provide the best possible nursing care for patients with, or at risk for, CKD. This course provides information about normal kidney function, the impact of CKD on kidney function, complications associated with CKD, and the medications used to treat CKD.

Course release date: 2/15/2019
Course expiration date: 2/15/2022

This course provides current information about the pathophysiology of pain, the differences between acute and chronic pain, chronic pain assessment, and chronic pain management. 

Course release date: 11/20/2019
Course expiration date: 11/20/2022

This medication rich course is for all nurses and advanced nurse practitioners responsible for prescribing oral antihyperglycemic medications and managing patients with diabetes.  The course provides the latest in oral antihyperglycemic medications and treatment options, including insulin pump therapies. 

Course release date: 6/28/2018
Course expiration date: 6/30/2021

This course discusses the fundamentals of communication science, impediments to effective communication in healthcare settings, and evidence-based strategies to improve communication with patients.  The course also presents nurses with evidence-based strategies to improve the effectiveness of their communication with patients, families, and colleagues.

Course expiration date: 4/19/2021

Dietary supplements of many types are widely used by Americans. As a result, it is likely that nurse practitioners in a variety of settings will encounter patients who use these products. The objective of this course is to provide an overview of dietary supplements.

Course expiration date: 11/26/2021

This course provides the statusof drug misuse in the United States and presents common substances, triggers,and interventions that are proving to have successful impacts. 

Course release date: 8/28/2019
Course expiration date: 8/28/2022

This course provides thorough information to promote the understanding of this condition. In turn, this will greatly contribute to their patients’ sexual health and quality of life. As primary health care professionals, it is imperative that APNs clearly understand the pathology of ED and steps to reduce its impact. 

Course release date: 5/15/2020
Course expiration date: 5/15/2023

This course provides an overview of available U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medication safety information, including drug labeling, black box warnings, Medication Guides, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMSs) programs, and available FDA medication safety communication and information for nurses and patients.

Course release date: 5/18/2020
Course expiration date: 5/18/2023

This course is beneficial for all nurses who care for the general population, particularly populations at risk for opioid misuse, addiction, and overdose.  The course reviews common terminology related to opioid use and addiction, the basic pharmacology of opioids, the roots of the opioid epidemic, the theory of prevention model, and the unique points of potential intervention to help nurses prevent, identify, and treat opioid addiction. 

Course release date: 8/20/2019
Course expiration date: 8/20/2022

This course is appropriate for all nurses and advanced practice nurses who have responsibility for managing or prescribing medications for select individuals.  The course addresses the history of brand versus generic drugs, the many controversies, the science behind the preparation differences, and the cost effectiveness of preventative care when using generic versus brand name drugs. 

Course release date: 1/2/2018
Course expiration date: 1/31/2021

This course presents the unique features of asthma and asthma management in adults, particularly, the older adult.

Course release date: 5/8/2018
Course expiration date: 1/31/2021

This course presents the application of asthma management in childhood, from infancy through adolescence.  A discussion of natural history sets the stage for comprehending the presentation of asthma at different ages. Variations in care are discussed from a developmental and family perspective. 

Course release date: 12/9/2019
Course expiration date: 12/9/2022

This course presents the concept of polypharmacy, related definitions and concepts, its incidence, predictors of polypharmacy, consequences of polypharmacy, pharmacokinetic principles that relate to the elder population, drug classes and individual medications that cause the most risk, and evidence-based strategies to prevent and manage polypharmacy. Case studies are presented allowing for the application of concepts. 

Course expiration date: 3/29/2021

This course is designed to provide an overview of measles, mumps, and rubella. It covers important information related to their history, epidemiology, symptoms, complications, prevention, and potential treatments. Since the MMR vaccine product is proven to be effective in the prevention of all three diseases, its use will be described in detail adequate to facilitate its usage as a foundation of contemporary care.

Communicable diseases, once on the cusp of being eliminated, continue to show up in the United States (U.S.). This c

Course release date: 4/1/2020
Course expiration date: 4/1/2023

This course presents the latest information about medical marijuana and is designed to help nurses understand its use, history, risks, benefits, and related best practices.  The course is intended for educational purposes only and in no way, encourages, endorses, or supports the use of marijuana. 

Course expiration date: 6/13/2021

This education activity will provide an overview ofassisted-living, as well as provide readers with information that will helpthem understand important aspects of working in this health-care arena. Medicationmanagement in assisted-living communities is one of the major tasks presentedto nurses. Improper management of medications can lead to polypharmacy, adverseincidents, inappropriate behaviors, injuries, long-term irreversible damage,and even death. This course will review the tools to properly managemedications, as well as information that will help the nurse train unlicensedstaff so they can contribute to risk reduction. As the role of the nurse inassisted-living expands to include higher levels of care, the nurse must have abetter understanding of how these levels of care affect the treatmentsprovided. 

Course release date: 11/4/2019
Course expiration date: 11/4/2022

All health care professionals (HCP) have a responsibility to understand the current opioid crisis and how they can contribute to countering this threat. All HCP who come into contact with patients have the potential to encounter individuals in danger of narcotic abuse. Awareness will facilitate an appropriate intervention. Those who may be more directly involved such as pharmacists, first responders, and emergency department personnel should consider more in-depth training. A thorough understanding of opioids, their misuse, and potential solutions to this public health issue will greatly contribute to improved patient health and quality of life.

Course expiration date: 1/10/2022

This course is intended to provide a hypertension treatment overview. Safe and effective prescribing decisions must be guided by an in-depth understanding of each agent: how it works, how to dose it, anticipated adverse events, drug interactions, etc. When combination drugs are included, there may be as many as 200 different pharmacological options (both individual agents, as well as combination products) that are approved by the FDA for treatment of hypertension. As a result, this course is designed only to highlight the major categories of therapeutics by identifying key products and characterizing them as a class. In an attempt to provide perspective, an effort was made to provide highlights of clinically meaningful outcomes studies for the various drug classes.

Course release date: 6/12/2018
Course expiration date: 4/30/2021

This course provides current information about nonopioid treatment modalities for pain to help nurses both educate patients about pain and advocate for safe and effective pain treatment based upon scientific evidence.  The course discusses, in detail, acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors, and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.  Adjuvant medications including tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, botulinum toxin, and anticonvulsants are also covered.  Interventional pain therapies as therapeutic pain management tools are also presented.

Course expiration date: 8/24/2021

Appropriate prescribing practices are critical for all medications, but drugs that are considered controlled substances require additional attention. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), along with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), all have a role in determining the scheduling of prescription medications. As prescribers, it is critical that nurse practitioners understand not only federal but state requirements for prescribing all controlled substances. In addition, inappropriately prescribing opioids, resulting in their misuse and abuse, has led to many changes, including new safety and quality recommendations that must be considered. This course will provide a general review of federal and state controlled substance regulations and the prescribing of all controlled substances in general, as well as focus on clinical and safety considerations when prescribing opioid medications for acute and chronic pain not related to cancer.

Course expiration date: 7/3/2021

Age-related illnesses are a growing economic and societal burden in the United States (US) and contribute up to 50,000 deaths annually. Ninety-five percent of these fatalities occur in the adult population. Since the development of vaccines for illness prevention and the focus on pediatric population protection, morbidity and mortality rates have declined. This has improved overall public health and has decreased resource utilization and associated costs. However, while the goals to achieve pediatric immunizations have largely been met, the adult population over age 60 has fallen significantly short of reaching national objectives for all 15 recommended vaccines. In 2010, the impact of adult hospitalization and treatment alone for four preventable disease entities, including influenza, pneumonia, herpes zoster, and pertussis, have contributed to care costs in the US that have neared $15 billion. Through a multi-faceted approach that focuses on access to care and prevention through aggressive immunization practices, benefits to our senior population can be met.   

Course expiration date: 2/7/2022

Caring for patients with chronic pain is both challenging and complex. This course provides details of the best practices for prescribing and managing pain when using opioids and related products. Federal and state laws are being updated and best practices protocols are being developed. 

Course release date: 3/25/2019
Course expiration date: 3/25/2022

This course presents the best practices for the use of prescription opioid medications to treat chronic pain, implementing these guidelines all within the constraints emphasized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also characterizes other strategies to combat the misuse of prescription medications and provides nurse practitioners (NPs) with a solid foundation for responsible opioid use in patients and vigilant monitoring to identify misuse.

Course release date: 5/22/2020
Course expiration date: 5/22/2023

Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) have a responsibility to understand the appropriate use of opioid medications, to include the risks inherent to this category of therapeutic products. Further, pursuant to Public Health Law (PHL) §3309-A(3), prescribers licensed under Title Eight of the Education Law in New York to treat humans and who have a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) registration number to prescribe controlled substances, as well as
medical residents who prescribe controlled substances under a facility DEA registration number, must complete at least three hours of course work or training in pain management, palliative care, and addiction. This accredited continuing education course is designed to satisfy the state of New York’s specific continuing education requirements providing an overview of the clinical use of opioids. 

Course expiration date: 12/17/2021

Safety comes first in patient care and inhealth-care environments.  However, despite the focus on safety in health-careliterature and within health-care organizations, medical errors are the thirdleading cause of death in the United States. In fact, it is estimated that morethan 250,000 deaths per year are due to medical errors. It is imperative thatnurses and their interdisciplinary colleagues work together to establish a viableculture of safety in their organizations. This course presents the latestNational Patient Safety Goals as well as strategies to improve the safety ofhealth-care organizations.

Course release date: 12/9/2019
Course expiration date: 12/9/2022

This course outlines normally functioning blood and lymphatic systems and how divergences from this process can lead to acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer.  The course highlights the great progress made in understanding this disease and how to eradicate it and will provide an overview of the collateral damage that occurs with this disease from its pathology and its treatment.

Course release date: 1/13/2020
Course expiration date: 1/13/2023

This course provides a review of the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of asthma and discusses the causes, associated symptoms, and complications of this medical emergency.  The course also describes diagnostic measures and potential pharmacotherapeutic approaches to management. 

Course release date: 11/18/2019
Course expiration date: 11/19/2022

This course is intended for Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) who are responsible for the primary care of diabetics in their practice or who may encounter patients suffering from a diabetic emergency.  The course presents a background on diabetic emergencies that may occur as a result of this disease and outlines how to manage such patients. To best illustrate the seriousness of these situations, a series of case studies are presented to further characterize diabetic emergencies, their management, and potential complications. 

Course release date: 3/2/2020
Course expiration date: 3/2/2023

This course is designed to increase nurses’ knowledge of recommended pediatric immunizations in order to improve patient education and adherence to immunization schedules. Vaccine recommendations for children ages 18 years old and younger are discussed, including the diseases that vaccines prevent, the schedule for administration, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines.

Course expiration date: 6/13/2021

As individuals enter the health-care system sicker than in the past, PICC lines are becoming more common. Understanding when a PICC line is indicated, caring for a PICC line, and clinical indications for troubleshooting a possible problem are all standard nursing care.

Course release date: 1/2/2018
Course expiration date: 1/31/2021

This course presents general pharmacologic interventions for managing asthma as recommended by the National Asthma Education Prevention Program that released the Expert Panel Report (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma and the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines, which are considered the “gold standard” for treating and managing asthma. 

Course release date: 4/8/2019
Course expiration date: 4/8/2022

This course provides best-practice and monitoring criteria for individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF). This includes the Vaughn Williams classification system, as well as first and second-line classes used for rate control in AF. The course describes the mechanisms of action of the first and second-line drugs, as well as drug side-effects and related nursing implications.

Course release date: 3/11/2020
Course expiration date: 3/11/2023

Managing type 1 diabetes means that the nurse provides not only direct patient care, but also education for patients and families. The nurse should be familiar not only with the ways in which to treat diabetes at home, but also with the warning signs and reasons for bringing the child or teen to the hospital for immediate emergency care. This course covers the symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, screenings, complications, and management of type 1 diabetes in the pediatric population.

Course release date: 3/11/2020
Course expiration date: 3/11/2023

Nurses, as well as other health care professionals, have a responsibility to understand the key components of diabetes management in children and teens.  This course will help nurses provide the direct patient care and education needed by patients and families. Nurses should be familiar, not only with the ways in which to manage diabetes, including diet, exercise, and medication, but also with the causes and complication risks if left untreated. The course covers the symptoms, risk factors, screening, diagnosis, complications and complication management, and management of type 2 diabetes in the pediatric population.

Course release date: 11/1/2018
Course expiration: 10/1/2021

The information presented in this course is applicable to all nurses, regardless of their practice setting or scope of practice, and defines the scope of the problem of prescription medication abuse. Nurses are positioned to mitigate this growing problem by identifying the most commonly abused medications, risk factors for substance use disorders, and methods of acquisition of these medications. 

Course release date: 4/10/2018
Course expiration date: 2/28/2021

This course focuses on substance misuse prevention, assessment, and treatment strategies detailing nursing care for patients with various substance use disorders, the description of prevention practices, and patient assessment.

Course release date: 2/12/2019
Course expiration date: 2/12/2022

This course is designed for both staff nurses, as well as advanced practice nurses (APNs). Staff nurses, including those working in medical areas, will see patients diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Due to medical and psychiatric comorbidities, these patients have complex prescription medication regimens.  For APNs, this course will support and enhance your knowledge of diagnosing psychiatric disorders and increase your confidence for prescribing psychotropic medications to adult patients. In addition, the course addresses challenging clinical situations and strategies for appropriate interventions.  Case studies, based on real patients are presented throughout, with recommended treatment and management strategies.

Course release date: 6/29/2020
Course expiration date: 6/29/2023 

This course provides Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) who prescribe controlled substances with an overview of the safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances, the pharmacology of opioids, and state and federal regulations pertaining to APRNs practicing in Illinois.

Course expiration date: 3/6/2021


This course provides an overview of the basics of ventilation and describes the nurse’s role in caring for the intubated patient.

Course expiration date: 4/11/2021

Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, affects approximately one out of every three Americans in their lifetime, resulting in an estimated one million cases in the United States each year. This disease can cause serious complications and adversely affect quality of life. It is imperative that nurses have an in-depth knowledge of shingles and available immunization options. This course provides information about the pathophysiology of shingles and the benefits and risks of vaccination.

Course release date: 2/6/2018
Course expiration date: 2/28/2021

This course provides nurses with an overview of the epidemiology of sociocultural, family, and other external influences on the development of substance use disorders.  The course discusses the prevalence of these disorders to help prepare nurses to offer early interventions and prevention of these disorders. 

Course release date: 12/9/2019
Course expiration date: 12/9/2022

This course is designed to instruct nurses on how to recognize signs of impairment in colleagues and also how to potentially recognize their own signs of impairment.

Course expiration date: 5/11/2021

This educational program is designed to provide an overview of tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, covering important information related to their history, epidemiology, symptoms, complications, prevention and potential treatments. Since the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, (DTaP and Tdap) vaccine products are proven to be effective in preventing all three diseases, this course will describe their use in enough detail to facilitate its usage as a foundation of contemporary care.

Course expiration date: 4/11/2021

The burden of contagious diseases has been significantly reduced through the use of successful vaccination programs in the United States, but outbreaks of contagious illnesses continue to occur throughout the country. Today, vaccines exist to prevent numerous, potentially deadly diseases, yet a considerable number of people do not receive recommended immunizations. Why do some people shun vaccination while others do not? What vaccine-preventable diseases pose a threat in the 21st century? What are the potential consequences of such diseases? This course addresses these issues as well as important nursing considerations for dealing with vaccine-preventable diseases.

Webinar course release date: 11/7/2019
Webinar course expiration date: 11/7/2022

Opioids, used (and abused) for millennia, have become a significant cause of mortality in the U.S.  The treatment of chronic pain and widespread acceptance of opioids to treat it may have jump started the current epidemic.  The emergence of newer, highly potent synthetic opioids appears to be adding additional fuel to the fire. Between 2001 and 2016, opioid overdose-related deaths spiked by 175%, accounting for 1.5% of all American deaths. A multi-pronged approach has been largely ineffective, with hundreds of people dying every day.  Opioid overdose mortality is out of control. Death from overdose, though, is not inevitable. Timely administration of an opioid antagonist has been proven to save lives. Availability of this antidote is  rapidly expanding. The challenge of healthcare professionals is to best understand the safe use of opioids, be able to recognize an overdose, and know how to effectively treat it.

Webinar course release date: 3/22/2018
Webinar course expiration date: 3/22/2021

This webinar course has been previously recorded. 

Marijuana as medicine has been embraced for thousands of years. To guide good prescribing practices, it is critical to follow the scientific data. Recent research appears to argue for the use of specific analogues rather than whole marijuana. Although not well-supported by clinical research, the availability of medical marijuana is increasing. In addition to medical marijuana, generalized legalization of recreational marijuana is also on the upswing, paralleling overall increases in use. As a result, clinicians are more likely than ever to encounter marijuana usage in their practice settings and must be prepared to manage this reality and associated risks.