Introducing: The freeCE FREE Trial Membership

Free Three-Credit Access to Our Most Popular CE Content

freeCE is now officially offering a “freeCE FREE Trial,” a membership that gives users completely free access to three credits of CE content. 

“PharmCon freeCE is continually focused on making CE content as affordable, simple, and flexible as possible,” said Kevin Hope, senior director of pharmacy education for PharmCon freeCE. “We hope the introduction of the ‘freeCE FREE Trial’ introduces our industry-leading products to more pharmacy professionals, allowing them to enhance their skills and further improve patient outcomes.”

Previously, taking a single course came with a price tag of $45. A “freeCE FREE Trial” membership gives first-time users the ability to earn three credits from a curated library of on-demand webcasts and monograph CEs at no cost while they consider signing up for a freeCE membership, which start at just $47.

The library will include five to seven courses that are applicable to all pharmacy professionals, including pharmacists, technicians, and nurses. Participants have 30 days to select the content, and additional credits as well as live CEs are available by upgrading to a Silver, Gold, or Platinum package tier.

What’s included in the free trial?

The initial “freeCE FREE Trial” library includes the following CE courses, many of which are designed for a diverse audience.

Beyond the Classroom: Men’s Preventative Health

Only about half of men actively engage each year in preventative health by participating in an annual physical. About 60% of men report waiting as long as possible to see a physician, even when faced with obvious symptoms. Not surprisingly, overall cancer mortality rates are approximately 1.5 times higher for men than women, often because of the timeliness of detection. In this unique panel style discussion, we are joined by a men’s health advocate and testicular cancer survivor to discuss ways that health care professionals can help reduce stigma around men’s health issues.

Our patient panelist will be joined by others within the healthcare sector who are making impressive strides forward. Together, we will discuss the general recommended screenings for men and propose effective strategies to ‘change the norm’ in the way that men think about preventative health. As with all ‘Beyond the Classroom’ discussions, participants will be able to interact directly with the panelists in real time.

This activity prepares pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses to:

• Identify common mistakes that men make in healthcare self-screening
• Identify the current recommended healthcare screening procedures and frequencies for men
• Recognize appropriate strategies for reducing the stigma and harmful social norms surrounding men’s preventative health

“Hey, Doc, What Do You Have For …?” 

We pharmacists are frequently called upon by our patients for over-the-counter advice. We are also called upon by physicians for our input on cost saving alternatives. Pharmacists are the drug experts, but many of us find ourselves lacking in self-care knowledge, especially when we need to bridge the front of the pharmacy to the pharmacy department.

Professor Pete Kreckel has made it his passion to promote the front of the pharmacy by recommending efficacious cost saving therapy. Whether you are selecting a toothpaste, antihistamine, or a pinworm medication, appropriate consultation is a must. Pharmacists are the most accessible health care professionals, and we need to be on top of our “self-care game” to provide economical therapies for our patients who trust our judgment. The next time your patient approaches with a “hey doc, what do you have for…” you will be much more at ease to respond.

This course is designed to help pharmacists:

• Select an appropriate over-the-counter product based on age of patient and symptomatology
• Recognize whether over-the-counter therapy is appropriate for a given patient condition
• Recognize the role of the pharmacist and physician interaction in providing cost efficient care to patients

Dispersing the Haze of Uncertainty with CBD: A Practical Overview for Pharmacists

According to a 2019 Consumer Report survey, over 64 million Americans reported trying CBD, and the number is only projected to grow. With cannabidiol rising in popularity for treatment of everything from pain to anxiety, it’s more important than ever for pharmacists to be aware of its legality, effects, and composition. This program seeks to ‘disperse the haze’ and empower pharmacists to counsel curious patients on one of the most talked-about supplements available today.

In this course, pharmacists and nurses will learn to:

• Recognize both the potential benefits and concerns of CBD utilization with patients
• Recognize how the Farm Bill impacted cannabidiol (CBD) products and how this relates to pharmacy
• Identify key biological and chemical aspects of CBD, the correlation to marijuana, and the key differences between the two that pharmacists must understand
• Summarize the ever-evolving updates around CBD and how this may be leveraged by pharmacists

Drugs of Abuse: Not Just Opioids and Stimulants

The current epidemic of drug overdose deaths has many causes. Attention has been focused on the abuse of opioids and CNS stimulants, but other categories of drugs have contributed to the crisis. This continuing education activity will review the abuse and misuse of drugs which are less frequently considered and less tightly regulated than the opioids and stimulants, which pose risks especially when combined with or substituted for other controlled substances. Specifically, this activity will discuss controlled and non-scheduled prescription drugs (gabapentinoids and carisoprodol), OTC drugs (loperamide and dextromethorphan), and a veterinary drug (xylazine). The evolution of their regulatory control will also be considered. Pharmacists are the point of contact for the dispersal of these agents and should be aware of the risk of abuse.

Learning objectives for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses:

• Describe the effects and risk of misuse and abuse of the gabapentinoids and carisoprodol
• Differentiate the characteristics of regulation and oversight of classes of drugs with differing abuse liability
• Characterize the risks of abuse of selected OTC and veterinary drugs

Psychedelic Drugs: From Bad Trip to Good Medicine?

Psychedelic drugs are usually associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s. However, decades earlier, there was interest in their development as treatments for psychiatric disorders. Concerns over abuse led to a cessation of research. Today, interest in these drugs as therapeutics has been revived, with research supporting a rapid and long-lasting effect in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, and other psychiatric conditions. In addition, the legal restrictions on these drugs have loosened in many areas of the U.S., reminiscent of what has occurred over the past three decades with marijuana. Pharmacists need to be aware of the properties, potential value, and regulation of these ancient remedies.

In this activity, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses will learn to:

• Characterize the traditional legal classification of psychedelic drugs and modern reconsideration of their legal status
• Define the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic characteristics of psychedelic substances
• Identify the relevant data of using psychedelic drugs in psychiatry
• Review the development of the knowledge of the effects of psychedelic drugs

Healthcare Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

Healthcare fraud is a growing problem and a major target of government and public payer enforcement efforts. Providers of health and administrative services must have policies and procedures in place to prevent, report, and correct fraud, waste, and abuse and comply with all relevant laws and administrative regulations.

This program will provide an overview of related terminology, major laws, and regulations, consequences, and penalties, and give learners the tools to identify, prevent, report, and correct fraud, waste, and abuse.

It will equip pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and nurses to:

• Define terminology associated with healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse
• Identify major laws and regulations pertaining to fraud, waste, and abuse
• Explain how to identify, prevent, report, and correct fraud, waste, and abuse
• List potential consequences and penalties associated with fraud, waste, and abuse violations

The Rabbit Hole of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): An Overview for Pharmacy Technicians 

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that often affects how children, adolescents, and adults function during the day. Patients with ADHD often experience symptoms related to inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Most treatment of ADHD involves the use of pharmacotherapy, such as stimulants or non-stimulants. It is important to know what these medications are, their dosing, and adverse effects. This monograph will review ADHD, how it’s diagnosed and treated, and the pharmacotherapeutic specifics of typical agents used to treat ADHD.

Pharmacy technicians will learn how to:

• Identify medications, adverse effects, and dosages used to treat ADHD in children and adults
• Identify non-pharmacologic interventions that can be beneficial at alleviating ADHD symptoms
• Recognize signs and symptoms of ADHD in both children and adults

Working Through the Highs and Lows: A Pharmacy Technician’s Guide to Diabetic Testing Supplies

With a little over 1 in 10 Americans having a diagnosis of diabetes, it is inevitable that a pharmacy technician will encounter patients that are living with this disease state. Because of this, it is crucial that pharmacy technicians are educated on the use of various types of diabetic testing supplies as well as how to operate them.

This session seeks to provide an overview on the multiple types of diabetic testing supplies available in pharmacies, their appropriate use and how these different testing supplies work together to effectively monitor a patient’s blood glucose.

Pharmacy technicians will learn how to:

• Recognize diabetic testing supplies that may be sold in the pharmacy setting
• Arrange in order the steps a patient may follow to test their blood sugar
• Identify the appropriate use of common diabetic testing supplies

Why choose freeCE?

If you want activities that will improve your skills and help you grow in your career, you can find what you need in freeCE. Whether you’re looking for on-demand activities, live webinars, or in-depth training on topics such as immunization or medication history, freeCE has a variety of options to choose from.

“PharmCon freeCE offers accredited, high-quality content designed by world-class experts, including more courses and programs designed specifically for the needs of pharmacy technicians than any other provider,” said Hope. “We are cognizant that affordability is vital to the pharmacy tech community and are excited to make this content even more approachable.”

Learn more about the “freeCE FREE Trial” at https://www.freece.com/checkouts/free/.