What Counts as Advanced Pharmacology CE for APRNs?
Advanced pharmacology continuing education is a key requirement for APRN certification renewal through ANCC and AANP. This guide explains what qualifies as pharmacology CE, how to verify accredited contact hours, and how APRNs can stay compliant while strengthening safe prescribing practices.
DSCSA Pharmacy Compliance: Track and Trace Requirements Explained
A look at how the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) is transforming pharmaceutical oversight in response to past safety failures, and what pharmacies must do to stay compliant with track-and-trace requirements.
Think Before Prescribing: Using the Beers Criteria in Advanced Practice
Prescribing for older adults requires more than knowledge of drug therapies — it demands careful evaluation of medication safety. The 2023 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria helps APRNs identify potentially inappropriate medications in older adults who face increased risks due to physiologic changes, polypharmacy, and heightened drug sensitivity. As highlighted in a PharmCon freeCE educational activity led by Carolyn O’Brien, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, the Beers Criteria is a clinical guideline, not a mandate. It supports individualized decision-making, particularly when managing high-risk medications such as anticholinergics, benzodiazepines, certain sulfonylureas, and NSAIDs. APRNs must weigh fall risk, delirium potential, cognitive burden, and overall quality of life while considering safer alternatives and deprescribing strategies. Using Beers thoughtfully strengthens medication safety, improves geriatric outcomes, and reinforces advanced pharmacology competency in high-stakes prescribing situations.
Use of Epinephrine in Emergency Situations (Anaphylaxis): Part 2
Fear, not pharmacology, is often the biggest barrier to timely epinephrine use. In Part 2, we explore how needle phobia shapes patient behavior, refill patterns, and real-world outcomes, and why intranasal epinephrine may represent a meaningful shift in anaphylaxis treatment design.
Use of Epinephrine in Emergency Situations (Anaphylaxis): Part 1
Epinephrine saves lives in anaphylaxis, yet hesitation, needle fear, and device complexity still delay use. This article explores the real-world barriers pharmacy teams see every day and why intranasal epinephrine may represent a meaningful shift in emergency care delivery.
Point-of-Care Testing Isn’t “Extra” Anymore: How Pharmacy Technicians Are Becoming Essential to POCT
Point-of-care testing is no longer an “extra” service in pharmacy. From flu and COVID testing to A1C and cholesterol checks, POCT has become part of daily workflow. And behind every successful testing program are trained pharmacy technicians. Learn how POCT is expanding technician responsibilities and why proper training makes all the difference.
Behind the Counter: What is the most memorable or wild incident you can recall in your career?
Let’s take a moment to peek behind the curtain to give you more insight into the daily lives and careers of the people who are teaching our classes.
Medication reconciliation: A unique opportunity for pharmacy technicians
As I started my 1st pharmacy intern job at a hospital, one of my roles was to perform medication reconciliation on patients that were being admitted.
Achieving Work-Life Balance: Practical Strategies for Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians
Maintaining work-life balance isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential for well-being and effectiveness. Balancing professional responsibilities with personal life allows for rejuvenation, prevents burnout, and enhances overall job satisfaction.
Walmart Greeter Today, Refrigeration & HVAC technician tomorrow: Taking Employee Training to a New Level
Last week, one of the headlines in the trade journals caught my attention around providing new training opportunities for existing employees. This is precisely the idea that my store manager at Eckerd Drug had back in the 90s, with the training element on steroids! Want a refrigeration or HVAC technician who has already proven themselves as being reliable, detail oriented, and meticulous? Train an employee who has already proven to be those things! Technical elements can be taught; an employee with a demonstrated proficiency in prioritized softer skills is worth that investment.