Join MPhA for a Virtual Coffee Break!

Getting Up to Speed on Hepatitis C Infection

Dial-in Webinar

Join us for the next MPhA Virtual Coffee Break “Getting Up to Speed on Hepatitis C” on Wednesday, May 13th, 2015 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m (CDT). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended all baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965 be tested for Hepatitis C (HCV) infection because people in this group are 5 times more likely than other adults to be infected. In fact, 75% of adults with HCV were born in these years although many of them are unaware that they are infected. This population is reaching an age where their HCV infection may be starting to become symptomatic. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent further liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In the past two years, HCV treatment has been revolutionized by drugs like Sovaldi. Similar to HIV, the pathophysiology of HCV has been discovered and drugs with new mechanisms of action are hitting the market left and right. In this Virtual Coffee Break, participants will learn about HCV, review drugs being used to treat the infection as well as those in development and participate in a discussion of the pharmacist’s role in testing for and managing HCV.

After participating in this program, the pharmacist should be able to:

• Explain the CDC’s current recommendations regarding HCV screening
• Understand the most common testing methods for HCV infection
• Describe the current HCV treatment recommendations regarding pharmacologic therapy and the newest agents approved to treat HCV
• List several pharmacologic agents in the pipeline being investigated for HCV treatment
• Explain the pharmacist’s role in managing HCV
  
  

Speaker: Zach Merk

UMN Pharmacy Leadership Resident
MTM Pharmacist, HealthEast

Dr. Zachariah Merk is a second year Pharmaceutical Care Leadership resident at the University of Minnesota where he is currently establishing new MTM services at HealthEast Roselawn clinic. At Roselawn clinic he works with a primarily immigrant population from Myanmar (Burma) and has managed several patients with hepatitis C, two of which had genotype 6. He also serves on the MPhA Board of Directors and is a pharmacy preceptor at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic. In his spare time he enjoys writing about himself in the third person and is greatly looking forward to becoming a first-time father this fall!

Registration Fees

You decide the value of the Virtual Coffee Break! Your donation will help provide funding for future programs and the development of the Virtual Coffee Break Webinar Series.

• $0 (Suggested amount for student pharmacists and pharmacy residents)
  
  
• $10
  
  
• $30 (Suggested amount for non-members)
  
  
• $50
  
  
• $100

Continuing Education:

This presentation is being submitted to the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy for Continuing Education credit approval (one hour).

To receive Board of Pharmacy credits for this program the following must be completed:

• Full participation/completion of webinar either during the live program or the archived presentation

• Completion of survey post webinar acknowledging participation

Board of Pharmacy credit processing takes place on the 15th of each month.

The Minnesota Pharmacists Association is accredited by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Questions? Please contact karip@ewald.com