A Guide for the Management of Crohn's Disease
Target Audience: Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech
Course Overview
Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and, along with ulcerative colitis (UC), is one of two GI disorders that comprise inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This condition is relapsing and remitting, with inflammation affecting all layers of the bowel wall and occurring at any point along the GI tract. Crohn's disease has no clear etiology but is influenced by genetic, environmental, and immunological factors, and it can affect patients' quality of life. Guidelines for managing CD include evidence-based recommendations for pharmacologic therapies and a recommendation to use a shared decision-making model when treating patients with CD. Pharmacists play a vital role in the care of these patients and can draw on their medication expertise to guide treatment decisions and provide patient counseling.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the etiology and pathophysiology of Crohn's disease
- Compare and contrast pharmacologic therapies for Crohn's disease
- Identify mechanisms of action and side effect profiles of medications used to treat Crohn's disease
- Recall medication counseling points for patients with Crohn's disease
Faculty
- Introduction
- Overview of Crohn's Disease
- Etiology and Epidemiology
- Risk Factors
- The Microbiome
- Genetics
- Immune-Mediated Risks
- Environment and Lifestyle
- Pathophysiologic Features of Crohn's Disease
- Manifestations of IBD in the GI tract
- Extraintestinal Manifestations of IBD
- Clinical Presentation of Crohn's Disease
- Diagnosing Crohn's Disease
- Laboratory Testing
- Imaging
- Determining Disease Activity
- Management of Crohn's Disease
- Nonpharmacologic and Lifestyle Approaches
- Pharmacologic Approaches
- Mild-to-Moderately Severe Disease and Low-Risk Disease
- Mesalamine
- Corticosteroids
- Antimicrobial therapy
- Moderate-to-Severe Disease/Moderate-to-High-Risk Disease
- Treating Severe/Fulminant Disease
- Novel Agents
- Drug Monitoring
- Surgical Options
- Maintaining Remission
- The Role of the Pharmacy Technician
- Summary
- Disclosures
From June 30, 2036 through April 16, 2037, 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 planning, developing, and/or authoring this activity: L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP; Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS; and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals involved in developing this activity has a conflict of interest or financial relationships related to 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 designed solely 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 must consult their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization for guidelines, protocols, and procedures 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 is constantly changing. Any person taking this course understands that such a person must make an independent review of medication information before 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.
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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.
PTCB Recognition
RxCe.com, LLC, offers pharmacy technician continuing education courses for PTCB recertification. Pharmacy technician courses are indicated both in the Target Audience description and the ACPE UAN which will end with a "T".