The University of Florida College of Pharmacy is partnering with the American Pharmacists Association, or APhA, and the Florida Pharmacists Association, or FPA, to provide continuing pharmacy education offerings that help current pharmacists practice at the top of their license.
According to Teresa Roane, Pharm.D., director of continuing pharmacy education in the UF College of Pharmacy, the college’s Office of Lifelong Learning and APhA now offer pharmacists two options to obtain accreditation within the Pharmacy-based Test and Treat certificate training program. The first is a 20-hour training series, which meets Florida licensure requirements, while a new offering provides pharmacists with the necessary national requirements in just eight hours of training. Roane said after pharmacists complete this APhA-approved training, they’ll know how to quickly triage non-chronic health conditions like the flu or strep throat.
“With our current shortage of primary care physicians, it may be weeks before patients can see their doctor. With some of these conditions, like flu, if the patient doesn’t start a medication within a relatively short period of time, then the medication is not going to work,” said Roane, who is a clinical associate professor of pharmacy education and practice in the UF College of Pharmacy. “With this program, pharmacists can gather data to determine which tests to perform and then prescribe medications based on the results. In offering these services, we’re trying to help ease the burden on primary care physicians and help pharmacists work at the top of their license.”
In addition, the college has recently embarked on a partnership with the FPA to offer continuing pharmacy education programs in a range of topics. For example, one program currently in development focuses on proper delivery methods for long-acting, injectable, antipsychotic drugs.
“We’re hoping that this will be the first of many programs that we offer in collaboration with the FPA,” Roane said. “With these partnerships, we’re trying to expand our offerings and reach a broader audience.”