Vasopressors: A Review of Pharmacology and Practical Use

Pharmacist CE: This 2-hour, print or online monograph provides information to pharmacists to improve understanding of vasopressor pharmacology and increase competency of pharmacists optimizing vasopressors based on patient specific factors. Vasopressors are used in emergency medicine and critical care settings for patients with various etiologies of hypotension and shock. Though these medications can share mechanisms of action, the nuanced inter-agent differences can make application to specific patients complicated and leaves pharmacists uniquely positioned to assist in optimization. This review will discuss those nuances and explore literature to be applied to vasopressors in clinical practice.

Speaker/Author

Dr. Nicholas Cook, PharmD

PGY2 Critical Care Pharmacy Resident, Avera McKennan & University Health Center

Content Reviewer:

Kyle Dvoracek

Emergency Medicine/Critical Care Pharmacist Specialist, Avera McKennan & University Health Center

Fee

$20.00

CE Hours

2.00

CE Units

0.200

Activity Type

Knowledge

Target Audience(s)

Pharmacists

Accreditation(s)

Accreditation Information | The South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

It is the policy of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions that all sponsored continuing pharmacy education programming present evidence-based information that is professionally objective and noncommercial/nonpromotional.

Requirements for CE Credit

To receive 2.0 contact hours (0.20 continuing education units) of continuing education credit, participants will read the provided article, answer the test questions and complete the course evaluation. A test score of 70% or better is required to earn continuing pharmacy education credit. If a score of 70% (4/5) is not achieved on the first attempt, participants can complete one retest at no additional charge. Credit upload to a participant’s eProfile account will be completed automatically following successful completion of this course. Please verify your NABP e-Profile ID and date of birth (month/day) are correct under your learner profile in Learning Express prior to submitting your evaluation.

This activity consists of information from pharmacist experts in the field. Participants must participate in the activity in its entirety to claim continuing pharmacy education credit. Follow the link online to complete the evaluation, learning assessment questions, and claim credit. Once credit is claimed, please allow two business days to check NABP to see the credit applied to your E-Profile ID number for completing this activity. Per ACPE requirements, CPE credit must be claimed within 60 days of being earned. After the 60-day deadline, South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions will not be able to report your credit for this activity.

Pharmacist Objectives:

Discuss fundamental hemodynamic parameters affected by vasopressors and different types of shock
Review general receptor pharmacology of common vasopressors
Describe the mechanism of action, dosing, adverse effects, and place in therapy of various vasopressors
Apply literature and guideline recommendations on vasopressor use to different types of shock
Evaluate the risks and benefits of peripheral vasopressor administration

Technology and System Requirements for Preceptor Training:

The College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions offers both live and home study continuing pharmacy education programs. These programs are delivered in a variety of ways including in person live sessions, webinars, recorded videos and text-based activities.

Home study continuing education programs are hosted on the South Dakota State University website. Access to these activities does require an Internet connection. Recommended technology to view content on the website includes:

Operating Systems: Windows 10 or later, iOS (current), macOS, Android (current)

Browsers: Latest versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge (No longer supported - Microsoft Internet Explorer)

Minimum hardware requirements:

Processor: Minimum 1 GHz; Recommended 2 GHz or more
Ethernet connection (LAN) or a wireless adapter (Wi-Fi)
Hard drive: Minimum 32 GB; Recommended 64 GB or more
Memory (RAM): Minimum 1 GB; Recommended 4 GB or above
Sound card with speakers

Recommended sustained connection speed for videos: 2.5 Mbps

Webinar and video continuing education activities will also require speakers or headphones to listen to the audio.

Relevant Financial Relationship Disclosure:

In accordance ACPE's Standard of Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions requires that all individuals in control of content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if they have had a financial relationship with an ineligible company in any dollar amount in the past 24 months and the educational content that the individual controls is related to the business lines of products of the ineligible company. An ineligible company is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by or used on patients. The presence of absence of relevant financial relationships will be disclosed to the activity audience.

Education Disclaimer:

The author(s) of this continuing education activity have made reasonable efforts to ensure that all information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific evidence at the time of publication. However, because information regarding medications, treatment guidelines, and other healthcare information is subject to constant change, the participant is advised to always confirm practice resources before applying any learned information in practice. Activities produced by South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions are intended solely to supplement health care professionals’ knowledge. The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of South Dakota State University College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions.