Managing Otitis Media: Strategies for Pharmacy Teams
Target Audience: Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech
Course Overview
Otitis media, middle ear inflammation, presents unique challenges in clinical management, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of its pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and evidence-based treatment approaches. Otitis media is not a single condition but rather a spectrum of diseases, including acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME), and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). This activity discusses the clinical presentation and evaluation of patients with otitis media, as well as recommended treatment strategies. This promotes the evaluation and referral of patients with ear pain to their primary care provider. Recommended treatment strategies will be discussed, including mechanisms of action, dosing, and side effects of antibiotic therapies.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the pathophysiology of and risk factors for otitis media
- Identify the clinical presentation of otitis media, including common signs and symptoms
- Compare and Contrast treatment strategies for the management of otitis media
Faculty
- Introduction
- Etiology
- Epidemiology
- Pathophysiology
- Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis
- Signs and Symptoms
- Physical Exam
- Diagnostics
- Differential Diagnosis
- Management and Treatment Strategies
- The Role of Pharmacy Technicians
- Recommended Resources
- Summary
- Disclosures
From June 15, 2026 through June 27, 2027, 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; 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.
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.
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".