Top Drugs 5 - Medications you NEED to Know - Pharmacy

Birth Control Overview - Birth Control is a VAST topic.  There are so many different methods - where do you start?   This presentation breaks down all the different medication based methods and discusses a general overview of pregnancy prevention. 

• What are all the different birth control methods?

• What is birth control's mechanism of action?

• What hormones are included and involved in BC?

• What are the side effects?

• Who should avoid it?  What are the serious dangers?

Oral Pills - Birth Control pills can be quite confusing - there are hundreds of different products!   Entire sections of pharmacies are filled with different birth control pills.  There are so many different products because BC pills can contain different phases, dosing schedules, active/placebo pill counts, estrogen doses, and other components (such as iron).    We will break down all the differences in oral birth control pills and discuss how they are often differentiated in the product name. 

• What are the different types of BC pills?  (COC and POP)

• What are the different phases? (Mono, Bi, Tri, Quad, Extended, Continuous)

• What is the significance of differing estrogen component dosing?

• What is the significance in active vs placebo pill counts?

• What else can BC pills contain?

• How are all these product differences used to select the product name?

• How can you confidently approach a BC shelf with hundreds of different products?

Other BC Methods - There are many other methods of birth control other than oral pills - and they are gaining in popularity!   It is vital healthcare providers understand all the different methods, and the pros and cons that come along with them.  Why would someone pick a method other than traditional pills?

• What are the other birth control methods?

• What are the key differences in oral vs new methods?

• Do these methods carry the same dangers and side effects as the pills?

• How long does each method provide protection?

• Are there any unique dangers associated with them?

Downloadable "Outline" of medications for the topic/condition.  The outline will include brand and generic names of medications, as well as some general condition overview information.   Medication hierarchy is the same (without stars).  Print out and take notes along with lecture - use notes to gear towards your specific career field (what you NEED to know!)

Overactive Bladder Condition Overview - There are several symptoms and conditions that fall under the umbrella term: overactive bladder.  We will discuss all of them and thoroughly explore the main one - incontinence.  There are several types of incontinence and each can have a slightly different treatment strategy.  The main concern with incontinence treatment is anticholinergic side effects (due to incontinence mainly affecting the elderly). We will take a deep dive into these side effects and what they mean for a patient.  We will also briefly look at the guidelines for recommended treatment routes. 

• What is overactive bladder and what are the symptoms?

• What is incontinence?  What are the different types of incontinence?

• How is incontinence treated?  What steps do the guidelines recommend taking?

• What are anticholinergic side effects?  Why are they so dangerous?

• How can we reduce the risk of anticholinergic side effects?

• What are some treatment options other than medications?

Incontinence Medications - There are not very many different medication options for incontinence.  Patients are mainly limited to Anticholinergics and a Beta-3 Agonist.   We will discuss the differences in the Anticholinergic medications and how each drug in the class has different selectivity and side effect risk.

Anticoagulation / Blood Clot Condition Overview - There are many different types of blood clots.  Some go unnoticed, while some are medical emergencies.  Every blood clot is treated differently - depending on patient factors, size, location, and potential for danger.  We will discuss several different types of blood clots - such as Deep Vein Thrombosis, Pulmonary Embolism, Heart Attacks, and Strokes.  How are different blood clots approached?   How do we treat them? 

• What is a blood clot?  How do they happen?

• What are the blood clot risk factors?  Can they be prevented?

• How dangerous are blood clots?  Are they always different?

• What is a DVT?  PE?  MI?  Stroke?

• How do we treat these blood clots?

• How are anticoagulants used?

Anticoagulant Medications - There are many different types of anticoagulants.  Some are hospital only, some are available retail.  They are used differently for various types of blood clots, in various forms of prevention and treatment.  We will discuss how each is used, when it's used, and why it's used.  We will discuss how anticoagulants affect different parts of the clotting cascade.  There are many side effects and drug interactions that come along with anticoagulants - they can be very dangerous medications!   We will go over the different Heparins, other hospital anticoagulants, new oral anticoagulants, and the old tried and true Warfarin!   We will also learn about the antidote for each anticoagulant.

MUST KNOW Medication Conclusion-  Going over the important medications at the end of each condition presentation.  You have learned about the condition and the medications used for it, now what do you absolutely need to remember?

Arrhythmia Condition Overview - Arrhythmia treatment is extremely complex.   There are many different factors involved in the heart's electric conduction system.  We will briefly go over cardiac action potential and how an arrhythmia can develop.  Some arrhythmias are "controlled" while managing side effects while others are instantly treated.  Some are medical emergencies.  We will go over what you NEED to know!   We will also discuss one of the most famous and common drug interactions in all of medicine - QT Prolongation.

• What is an arrhythmia?  How does one develop?  What causes it?  Can they be prevented?

• What is cardiac action potential?  How does an arrhythmia affect it?

• How do we approach arrhythmia treatment?  What is Rate vs. Rhythm control?

• What is QT Prolongation?  How do we manage it? 

Arrhythmia Medications - There are many arrhythmia medications.  We will learn how they are classified (The Vaughan Williams Classification System), and why they are classified in this manner.  We will discuss how each class represents different electrolyte movement and a different step in the cardiac action potential.   You will learn some helpful ways to remember arrhythmia classifications and medications.  We will also discuss the treatment strategies of Rate Control vs. Rhythm Control.   We will thoroughly learn about Amiodarone - one of the craziest drugs out there!  A must know!

Dementia / Alzheimer's Disease Condition Overview - Dementia can be a scary and confusing condition.   There are several types of this condition - it will have different onset, presentation, severity, etc for everyone.    We will discuss how dementia is diagnosed, and how we approach treatment. 

• What is dementia?  What is Alzheimer's Disease?

• What are the symptoms?

• Can it be prevented?  What are the risk factors?

• How is it diagnosed? 

• Can we cure it?  How is it treated? 

Dementia Medications - There are not very many different medication options for dementia / Alzheimer's.  Patients are mainly limited to Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors and an NMDA Inhibitor.   We will discuss effectiveness, side effects, pros/cons, etc.

www.DrugsandConditions.com