Emerging Issues in HIV Management: Answers to Pharmacists’ Common Questions

This activity is jointly provided by Global Education Group and Integritas Communications.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Release Date

August 25, 2023

Expiration Date

August 25, 2024

Target Audience

The educational design of this activity addresses the needs of clinical, specialty, and managed care pharmacists and pharmacy benefits managers involved in the care of patients with HIV infection.

Program Overview

Pharmacists play many roles in the management of HIV, thus it is essential they remain up to date as the HIV field continues to advance and patients grow more complex. This activity discusses the importance of and strategies for rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, the indications for and implementation of long-acting injectable (LAI) ART, the interpretation of resistance testing, and the complex therapeutic decision-making processes involved in designing active ART regimens for heavily treatment-experienced (HTE) patients with HIV.

Educational Objectives

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

•  Review requirements and options for rapid ART initiation
•  Identify the pharmacist’s role within clinic protocols for common HIV management scenarios, such as initiating rapid ART and implementing long-acting injectables
•  Describe procedures for long-acting injectable treatment initiation and maintenance
•  Interpret resistance test results in HTE patients with multidrug resistance
•  Discuss the most appropriate treatment regimens for HTE patients experiencing virologic failure or those who want to simplify their regimen

Faculty

Melissa Badowski, PharmD, MPH, FCCP, FIDSA, BCIDP, BCPS, AAHIVP
Clinical Associate Professor
Section of Infectious Diseases Pharmacotherapy
Department of Pharmacy Practice
University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Pharmacy
Chicago, Illinois

Lucas Hill, PharmD, AAHIVP
HIV/HCV Pharmacist Specialist
University of California San Diego Owen Clinic
San Diego, California

Jonathan M. Schapiro, MD
Head of HIV/AIDS Clinic
Israeli Ministry of Health National Hemophilia Center at Sheba Medical Center
Tel Aviv, Israel

Pharmacist Accreditation Statement

Global Education Group is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education with commendation.

Credit Designation

Global Education Group designates this continuing education activity for 2.0 contact hour(s) (0.2 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. (Universal Activity Number - 0530-9999-23-053-H02-P) This is an application-based activity.

Global Contact Information

For information about the accreditation of this program, please contact Global at 303-395-1782 or cme@globaleducationgroup.com.

Instructions to Receive Credit

In order to received credit, participants must complete the following:

1. Read the educational objectives, accreditation information, and faculty disclosures at the beginning of this activity.
2. Complete the Preactivity Questions.
3. Review the activity content.
4. Achieve a grade of 70% on the Postactivity Test Questions and complete the Evaluation.
5. CE credits will be uplaoded to CPE Monitor within 60 days of completion.

Fee Information & Refund/Cancellation Policy

There is no fee for this educational activity.

Disclosures of relevant financial relationships

Global Education Group adheres to the policies and guidelines, including the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited CE, set forth to providers by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and all other professional organizations, as applicable, stating those activities where continuing education credits are awarded must be balanced, independent, objective, and scientifically rigorous. All persons in a position to control the content of an accredited continuing education program provided by Global Education Group are required to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible company within the past 24 months to Global Education Group.  All financial relationships reported are identified as relevant and mitigated by Global Education Group in accordance with the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited CE in advance of delivery of the activity to learners. The content of this activity was vetted by Global Education Group to assure objectivity and that the activity is free of commercial bias. 

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

The faculty have the following relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies:

The planners and managers at Global Education Group and Integritas Communications have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Disclosure of Unlabeled Use

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Global Education Group and Integritas Communications do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of any organization associated with this activity. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.

Disclaimer

Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of patient conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.

System Requirements

Please ensure the computer system you plan to use meets the following minimum requirements:

• Operating System: Windows 98 or higher & Macintosh 2.2 or higher
• Internet Browser (Mac & Windows): Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, Google Chrome, Safari 5.0.6 or higher, Firefox 3.0.3 or higher, & Opera 5 or higher
• Broadband Internet connection: Cable, High-speed DSL & any other medium that is internet accessible
• Peripherals: Computer speakers or headphones
• Monitor Screen Resolution: 320 x 480 or higher
• Media Viewing Requirements: Adobe Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, Flash Player & HTML5