Chronic Diseases Management
Targeted Course | Online
Quick Summary
- Commencement: June 10 2025
- 06.00pm - 07.00pm
- 3 Weeks | Online
- Access to Lectures
- Quiz + Assessment
- Completion Certificate
Course Description
This advanced-level course is designed for clinical pharmacists actively involved in patient care, aiming to deepen their clinical expertise in managing chronic diseases across diverse healthcare settings. The program emphasizes clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary coordination, and patient-centered interventions for optimized therapeutic outcomes. It provides in-depth coverage of the pathophysiology, pharmacotherapy, clinical monitoring, and evidence-based guidelines for high-burden chronic conditions, while integrating strategies for medication reconciliation, adherence, and long-term outcome tracking. Participants will gain insights into individualized treatment adjustments, polypharmacy management, risk mitigation, and follow-up strategies, enabling them to play a pivotal role in chronic disease clinics, ambulatory care, and collaborative practice environments.
Key Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, scholars will be able to:
- Evaluate and optimize pharmacotherapeutic plans for major chronic diseases using current clinical guidelines.
- Monitor and interpret clinical and laboratory markers for chronic disease progression and drug efficacy/safety.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to address comorbidities, medication-related problems, and patient education.
- Identify and manage polypharmacy, drug interactions, and therapeutic duplications in chronic disease cases.
- Design patient follow-up and monitoring protocols tailored to disease-specific risks and therapy goals.
CURRICULUM
Designed by Pharmscape’s subject matter experts from clinical practice.
Unit 1: Clinical Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Intensive insulin therapy and oral agent adjustment protocols
Monitoring HbA1c, glucose variability, and complications
Management of diabetes in special populations (renal/hepatic impairment, elderly)
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Unit 2: Hypertension in Complex Patients
Resistant hypertension: evaluation and pharmacologic management
Pharmacologic titration based on comorbidities (CKD, CAD, diabetes)
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and follow-up strategies
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Unit 3: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Stepwise pharmacotherapy in stable and exacerbation phases
Use of GOLD guidelines in inhaler selection and escalation
Monitoring techniques: spirometry, pulse oximetry, and symptom scales
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Unit 4: Chronic Heart Failure (HFrEF & HFpEF)
Evidence-based use of RAAS inhibitors, beta-blockers, SGLT2 inhibitors
Clinical decompensation management and diuretic optimization
Monitoring parameters: NT-proBNP, EF%, weight tracking, renal labs
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Unit 5: Dyslipidemia and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Statin therapy intensity based on ASCVD risk scoring
Managing statin intolerance and adjunct therapies (ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors)
Clinical markers: LDL-C goals, lipid panels, and hepatic safety monitoring
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Unit 6: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Pharmacotherapy Adjustment
Renally adjusted dosing in common chronic meds
Anemia and mineral bone disorder management in CKD
Use of GFR, creatinine, and albuminuria for pharmacologic decisions
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Unit 7: Asthma Management in Adult and Elderly Populations
Stepwise therapy escalation and biologic selection
Inhaler technique assessment and patient education
Acute vs. maintenance therapy monitoring (ACT score, PEF)
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Unit 8: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Inflammatory Conditions
DMARDs, biologics, and steroid-sparing strategies
Monitoring for drug-induced toxicities (MTX, TNF-inhibitors)
Disease activity indices and joint protection strategies
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Unit 9: Clinical Management of Depression and Anxiety in Chronic Illness
Antidepressant therapy selection in medically complex patients
Monitoring treatment response and side effects in the chronic disease context
Risk mitigation for serotonin syndrome, QT prolongation, and withdrawal
Unit 10: Chronic Pain and Opioid Stewardship
Pharmacologic strategies in neuropathic and nociceptive pain
Opioid rotation, tapering protocols, and monitoring for misuse
Co-prescribing strategies: naloxone, laxatives, antidepressants
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Unit 11: Obesity and Pharmacologic Interventions
Criteria for anti-obesity pharmacotherapy initiation
Monitoring weight-loss response and cardiovascular markers
Pharmacist’s role in lifestyle-medication synergy and adverse effect tracking
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Unit 12: Polypharmacy and Deprescribing in Chronic Disease
Structured medication review tools (STOPP/START, Beers Criteria)
Deprescribing strategies based on clinical benefit-risk profiles
Interdisciplinary care plans for optimizing therapy burden
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