Infertility Uncovered: A Healthcare Team Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment
Target Audience: Pharmacist
Course Overview
Within the United States, an estimated 1 in 5 women will experience infertility. Infertility is a disease with health implications and important economic and social ramifications. Management of infertility is highly patient-specific, and factors including the underlying cause, patient age, comorbidities, and cost determine the treatment plan. A diagnosis of infertility can be devastating, and attempting to understand related procedures and medications can be overwhelming for patients. Healthcare team members can educate patients on the causes and risk factors associated with infertility, counsel them on nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic medications, and offer resources to decrease the financial burden associated with infertility treatments. This course will provide an overview of the causes and process of diagnosing infertility and discuss available treatment options. Mechanisms of action, side effects profiles, benefits, and success rates will be discussed for various fertility medications.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Recall the causes of infertility
- Describe available treatment options for infertility
- Discuss indications, contraindications, side effect profiles, and monitoring parameters for fertility medications
- Differentiate the roles of professionals involved in the management of infertility
Faculty
I. Introduction
II. Definition and Prevalence of Infertility
III. Etiology and Risk Factors
A. Female Infertility: Ovulation Disorders
B. Female Infertility: Tubal and Uterine Factors
C. Impact of Age on Fertility
D. Male Risk Factors
IV. Evaluation and Diagnosis
A. Female Reproductive System
B. Menstrual Cycle
C. The Follicular (Proliferative) Phase
D. Ovulatory Phase
E. Luteal Phase
V. Fertility Evaluation
VI. Practice Tip
VII. Treatment of Infertility
A. Routine Psychosocial Care
B. Nonpharmacologic Management
C. Assisted Reproductive Technology
D. Pharmacologic Therapies
E. Determining a Management Strategy
F. Frequently Asked Questions
VIII. The Role of the Interdisciplinary Team
IX. Summary
From June 25, 2025 through June 25, 2028, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in developing this activity: L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP, Anna Shurtleff Smith, MPH, BSN-RN, Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS, and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals has a conflict of interest or financial relationships regarding the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature and it is solely designed to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must consult with their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization, for guidelines, protocols, and procedures they are to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses are constantly changing, and any person taking this course understands that such person must make an independent review of medication information prior to any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course, or course material.
Please ensure the device you plan to use meets these requirements:
- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
- Supported Browsers: Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Opera
- A connection to the internet
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.