Updating the Evidence on Allergic Rhinitis Management: Focus on Evidence-Based Treatment Approaches, Medication Adherence, and Patient Outcomes

Sponsored by Medical Education Collaborative, Inc (MEC)

ACPE-accredited and produced by North American Center for Continuing Medical Education-Princeton CME

Purpose Statement

The purpose of this activity is to provide physicians and pharmacists with current, evidence-based approaches for the management of allergic rhinitis that will result in improvements in patient quality of life and minimize healthcare resource use.

Target Audience

This activity is designed for managed markets physicians and pharmacists.

Learning Objectives

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

Define the clinical and economic burden of allergic rhinitis
Describe the evidence-based correlation between patient nonadherence to allergic rhinitis therapy and optimal outcomes
Outline the benefits and limitations of available medications for allergic rhinitis
Explain the link between allergic rhinitis and asthma, and its impact on treatment approaches and healthcare use
Summarize frequent managed care–related barriers to optimal allergic rhinitis management
Practice methods to remove barriers to appropriate treatment and assist clinicians in improving allergic rhinitis outcomes

Credit Eligibility

To be eligible for documentation of credit, participants must participate in the full educational activity, complete the 10-question post-test with a score of 70% or better, and complete the online evaluation form. Participants who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form online may immediately print their documentation of credit.

Please e-mail info@princetoncme.com or call 609-371-1137 if you have questions or need additional information.

Release date: June 25, 2008

Expiration date: June 25, 2009

Estimated time to complete: 1 hour

There is no fee associated with this activity.

CME Accreditation

Medical Education Collaborative, Inc (MEC) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

MEC designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

For questions regarding the ACCME accreditation of this activity, please contact MEC at 866-420-3252.

CPE Accreditation

Princeton CME is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education (ACPE Provider #452) and complies with the Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines. This activity is approved for 1 contact hour (0.1 CEU) of continuing pharmacy education (UPN 452-999-08-010-H01-P).

Any participant wanting to file a grievance with respect to any aspect of a continuing pharmacy education activity accredited by Princeton CME may contact John Savage, Director, Medical Education, North American Center for Continuing Medical Education (NACCME)-Princeton CME in writing. The Director, Medical Education will review the grievance and respond within 30 days of receiving the written statement. If the participant is unsatisfied with the response, an appeal to the Vice President, Medical Education, NACCME-Princeton CME, may be made for a second level of review.

John Savage
NACCME-Princeton CME
300 Rike Drive, Suite A
Millstone Township, NJ 08535
E-mail: jsavage@naccme.com

Grant Support

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Schering-Plough Corporation.

Participating Faculty

Michael S. Blaiss, MD
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
University of Tennessee
Health Science Center
Memphis, Tennessee

Rod Boone, RPh, MHP
Director, Pharmacy Services
MedVentive, Inc
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Steven R. Erickson, PharmD
Associate Professor
Clinical, Social, and Administrative Sciences
Department
Clinical Pharmacist
Adult General Internal Medicine
Outpatient Care
University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
Ann Arbor, Michigan

John H. Krouse, MD, PhD
Professor and Vice Chair
Department of Otolaryngology
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Independent Clinical Reviewer

Javed Sheikh, MD
Clinical Director
Division of Allergy and Inflammation
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

Financial Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

According to the disclosure policy of Medical Education Collaborative, Inc (MEC) and NACCME-Princeton CME, faculty, editors, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with relevant commercial companies related to this activity. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are reviewed for potential conflicts of interest. If a conflict is identified, it is the responsibility of MEC and NACCME-Princeton CME to initiate a mechanism to resolve the conflict(s). The existence of these interests or relationships is not viewed as implying bias or decreasing the value of the presentation.

All educational materials are reviewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence.

The faculty has reported the following:
Dr. Erickson disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests.
Dr. Blaiss: Consultant/Speakers bureau―Alcon Laboratories, AstraZeneca International, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co., Inc, sanofi-aventis U.S., Schering-Plough Corporation
Mr. Boone: Advisory Committee―Schering-Plough Corporation
Dr. Krouse: Consultant—Alcon Laboratories; sanofi-aventis U.S., Schering-Plough Corporation; Speakers bureau—Merck & Co., Inc
Dr. Sheikh: Research Support—GlaxoSmithKline plc; Speakers Bureau—Genentech, MedPointe Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, sanofi-aventis U.S., UCB, Inc.

Planning Committee employees of MEC, the accredited provider for this activity, and Randy Robbin, John Savage, Erin Phelps, and Rosemary Hodgson, NACCME-Princeton CME, have disclosed no relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests.

MEC and NACCME-Princeton CME require faculty to inform participants whenever off-label/unapproved uses of drugs or devices are discussed in their presentation.

The faculty has disclosed that no off-label/unapproved uses of drugs or devices will be discussed.

Privacy Policy

Medical Education Collaborative, Inc (MEC) protects the privacy of personal and other information regarding participants, educational partners, and joint sponsors. MEC and our joint sponsors will not release personally identifiable information to a third party without the individual's consent, except such information as is required for reporting purposes to the appropriate accrediting agency.

MEC and NACCME-Princeton CME maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.

ACCREDITING INSTITUTIONS’ NOTE

The opinions expressed in this educational activity are those of the presenters and are not attributable to the sponsor or the publisher, editor, or advisory board of Medical Education Collaborative, Inc (MEC) and NACCME-Princeton CME. Clinical judgment must guide each professional in weighing the benefits of treatment against the risk of toxicity. Dosages, indications, and methods of use for products referred to in this activity are not necessarily the same as indicated in the package insert for each product, may reflect the clinical experience of the presenters, and may be derived from the professional literature or other clinical sources. Consult complete prescribing information before administering.

Copyright © 2008 by North American Center for Continuing Medical Education, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this accredited continuing education activity may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without first obtaining permission from the North American Center for Continuing Medical Education.