Introduction

Despite the variety of treatment options available, there is still much debate about the diagnosis and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A recent survey indicated that physicians are somewhat unclear about the use of appropriate acid suppression medications; this may inevitably lead to inappropriate dosage regimens. Additional patient-based surveys found that these patients continue to experience symptoms of GERD despite being under physician-managed care. This lack of symptom control can result in a variety of troublesome issues that adversely impact patient health-related quality of life and patient compliance with medication regimens. Furthermore, there is poor agreement between patients and physicians regarding the assessment of GERD severity.

This evidence-based, interactive teleconference will inform health care providers about important communication tools and management strategies for dealing with GERD-specific issues that could be problematic in the clinic. Through practical, everyday cases, expert thought leaders will discuss approaches to dealing with symptoms and risk factors, and answer case-specific patient questions on the overall treatment and management of GERD.

Target Audience

This will be a 1-hour activity accredited for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and pharmacists. This activity will consist of a case-based, interactive lecture and question-and-answer periods.

Learning Objectives

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

Release date: May14, 2010
Expiration date: May 13 , 2011

Accreditation and Designation

Physicians
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essentials and Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians (NCAFP) and TCL Institute, LLC. TCL Institute, LLC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

TCL Institute, LLC designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

NCAFP is accredited by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

This activity has been reviewed and is acceptable for up to 2 Prescribed credits by the AAFP. Of these credits, 1 conforms to the AAFP criteria for evidence-based CME (EB CME) clinical content. CME credit has been increased to reflect 2 for 1 credit for only the EB CME portion. When reporting AAFP credit, report total Prescribed and Elective credit for this activity. It is not necessary to label credit as EB CME for reporting purposes.

The EB CME credit awarded for this activity was based on practice recommendations that were the most current with the strongest level of evidence available at the time this activity was approved. Since clinical research is ongoing, AAFP recommends that learners verify sources and review these and other recommendations prior to implementation into practice.

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants can claim 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Nurses
TCL Institute, LLC is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 15225, for 1.2 contact hours.

RNs outside of California must verify with their licensing agency for approval of this course.

Pharmacists
Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This is an application-based, continuing education activity of Purdue University, an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Universal Activity Number (UAN): 0018-9999-10-006-H01-P, 1.0 contact hours (0.1 CEUs).

Chair
Roy K.H. Wong, MD
Professor of Medicine
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington, DC

Disclosures
In accordance with the ACCME, TCL Institute, LLC requires that any person who is in a position to control the content of a CME activity must disclose all relevant financial relationships they have with a commercial interest.

Accordingly:
Dr. Wong reported that he is a consultant to and speaker for Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. He also reported that he is a speaker for Santarus, Inc.

The NCAFP, Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and TCL Institute, LLC staff that were involved in the development of this activity have no financial relationships with any commercial interests that are relevant to this activity.

To resolve identified conflicts of interest, the educational content was fully peer-reviewed by a physician member of the TCL Institute, LLC Content Review Committee who has nothing to disclose. The resulting certified activity was found to provide educational content that is current, evidence-based, and commercially balanced.

Disclosure of Unlabeled or Investigational Drugs

This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings. Further, attendees/participants should appraise the information presented critically and are encouraged to consult appropriate resources for any product or device mentioned in this program.

Disclaimer

The content and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.; TCL Institute, LLC; or NCAFP. This material is prepared based upon a review of multiple sources of information, but it is not exhaustive of the subject matter. Therefore, health care professionals and other individuals should review and consider other publications and materials on the subject matter before relying solely upon the information contained within this educational activity.