North Dakota pharmacists can participate in free continuing education opportunities about dementia care at sessions scheduled during June and August in in Fargo and Bismarck. Offered by the NDSU School of Pharmacy, the live five-hour workshops are titled “Targeted Education in Dementia Care for Pharmacists” and are available for five ACPE-accredited contact hours. The North Dakota Board of Pharmacy funded the program.
Three identical workshops, each able to accommodate 30 participants, will be offered in two locations. One of the workshops in Fargo on June 9 is full. Register now to reserve your spot for remaining dates.
Fargo workshops
Saturday, June 9 – full
Saturday, June 16
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break
NDSU Sudro Hall, Room 21
1401 Albrecht Blvd., Fargo,
Visitor parking lot directly south of Sudro Hall
Enter west door of building
Bismarck workshop
Saturday, Aug. 25
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break
NDSU School of Nursing at Sanford Health
512 North 7th St., Bismarck
Visitor parking on west side of building
Marketa Marvanova, chair of pharmacy practice in the NDSU School of Pharmacy, will lead the workshops. “With our population aging, we expect a rise in patients suffering from reversible and irreversible dementias,” said Marvanova. “Our recent research identified knowledge gaps in Alzheimer's disease pharmacy-related care across the U.S., with few opportunities for professional education on the topic.”
To register for a workshop, contact jean.trautmann@ndsu.eduor phone 701-231-7589. Include your full name, phone number and mailing information, which workshop you plan to attend, and your lunch choice of chicken, beef or vegetarian meal.
Upon completing the workshop, attendees will be able to:
- Discuss common types of reversible and irreversible dementias, etiology, and pathology/neurobiochemistry
- Recognize common reversible and irreversible dementias based on clinical presentations
- Provide prevention recommendations for common irreversible dementias
- Discuss efficacy of cognitive enhancers and associated treatment goals for common non-reversible dementias
- Describe mechanism of action, major pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, adverse events, significant drug interactions, and warnings and precautions for cognitive enhancers
- Based on a clinical scenario, recommend appropriate treatment plan and provide patient and caregiver education
“The overall goal of these workshops is to ensure availability of high quality pharmacist-specific continuing education and training in dementia care in order to better serve our aging populations in North Dakota,” said Marvanova.
The program is designed to increase knowledge of:
- Types of irreversible dementias such as Alzheimer disease, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson disease dementia
- Reversible dementias and the causes of an acute- and sub-acute-onset of cognitive decline prevention of irreversible dementias
- Management of reversible and irreversible dementia
- Pharmacologic knowledge of medications used to manage primary, secondary, and tertiary problems of dementia complications
- Pharmacologic properties and efficacy of cognitive enhancers in management of irreversible dementias
- Safety and appropriateness of select cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for select patients with dementia
“It is my sincere hope that this initiative can improve patient care in North Dakota and also contribute to reducing healthcare disparities,” said Marvanova.
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