Get Advanced Training with freeCE's Supplementation Specialty Pharmacist Certificate!
Easily complete all training in our convenient & on-demand format
freeCE offers pharmacists the flexibility to complete this supplementation specialty training at their own pace. This 11-hour specialty certificate is broken into 9 on-demand learner modules.
Background
This series will better equip the pharmacist to address patient questions on a wide array of supplement products. As many retailers expand offerings in this space, this will be an opportunity for pharmacists to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to impact patient care.
Program Description
This is an extensive look at the array of traditional supplements as well as other items being sold in today’s pharmacies, including herbals, homeopathics, sports medicine supplements, and weight loss supplements. Many of these supplements receive little attention in traditional pharmacy education, yet are commonly sold in stores across the country. It is important for the pharmacist to understand these supplements and recognize how they may integrate with and/or adversely impact other therapies
Our unique approach to pharmacy education has made freeCE the industry standard and a favorite learning resource among pharmacy professionals.
PLUS, when you complete your training, you can earn a Credly Badge to show off your specialized training! Digital badges provide a simple and verifiable way to notify your network about your new skill sets.
A through Zinc: A comprehensive overview of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements used in everyday practice -PART 1: A-K Overview: Will this help? Is this safe? How much can I use? These are some common questions that we are asked every day about over-the-counter vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Unfortunately, as healthcare professionals, we often receive only a brief overview of these throughout our schooling. In this course, we go through each product and discuss the common uses, safety, side effects, and dosing of each to help you feel more confident in your over-the-counter supplement recommendations.
A through Zinc: A comprehensive overview of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements used in everyday practice-PART 2: L-Z Overview: Will this help? Is this safe? How much can I use? These are some common questions that we are asked every day about over-the-counter vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Unfortunately, as healthcare professionals, we often receive only a brief overview of these throughout our schooling. In this course, we go through each product and discuss the common uses, safety, side effects, and dosing of each to help you feel more confident in your over-the-counter supplement recommendations.
The Power of Plants: Over-the-Counter Herbal and Plant -Derived Treatments Overview: Herbal and other plant-derived products have been used for thousands of years to treat and to heal people all around the world. Currently, there is an ever-increasing demand for more natural and easily accessible products. It is important for us, as healthcare professionals, to be able to not only recognize these products and their possible benefits, but to also acknowledge that just because a product comes from a plant, that doesn’t automatically mean that it is safe for everyone to use. In this course, we discuss the uses, benefits, and dangers of some of the most common herbal and other plant-derived products used today.
Drug-Free: A look at over the counter essential oil and homeopathics Overview: The use of essential oils and homeopathic preparations have been around for a long time and are still very popular today, especially with those looking for alternatives to conventional medicine. Essential oils have been in use since the Ancient Egyptians and are becoming increasingly popular, especially with the help of the internet and social media. While these natural products can sometimes be useful, it is important to be able to recognize the possible dangers associated with the improper use of essential oils. Homeopathy has been practiced since the late 18th century. Homeopathic preparations are not usually a first line treatment, but these products may be able to offer some benefit to our patients that are either not able or not willing to use other conventional medications.
Adaptogens-What Are They and How Are They Used Overview: Ashwagandha teas, ginseng capsules, rhodiola tinctures, etc. Adaptogens are becoming increasingly popular for their beneficial effects on stress, anxiety, and helping to maintain balance in the body. But what qualities does it take for a plant or mushroom to be considered an adaptogen and what exactly do they do? In this course, we discuss the most common adaptogens, how they work in the body, and their potential uses and side effects.
Probiotics and Fiber Supplents-Investigating Their Role in Digestive Health Overview: Increase your fiber, take a probiotic, try digestive enzymes—these may be pieces of advice that you have offered to patients in the past, but which specific product do you recommend and why? What are the differences between the multitude of all of these different products that you might find on the pharmacy shelf? Which strain of bacteria is the best? Which form of fiber is most effective? In this course, we take a look at all of the different digestive health supplements and discuss their potential benefits and side effects, as well as if there are certain products better than the rest.
Sports Nutrition and Performance Enhancing Supplements-Benefits and Concerns Overview: Which protein is best? What about branched chain amino acids? Sports nutrition and performance enhancing supplements are not generally a topic we learn much about in our professional training. These products, however, are often found right in front of the pharmacy and thus we are expected to be knowledgeable about their ingredients. In this course, we take a look at some of the most common ingredients found in performance enhancing supplements and discuss their potential benefits as well as their possible side effects.
Over-the-Counter Weight Loss Supplements-Worthless or Worth It? Overview: Americans spend over 2 billion dollars per year on over-the-counter weight loss supplements. Are these safe? How effective are they? These are some of the common questions we run into during consultations about these products. In this course, we take a look at the most common ingredients found in over-the-counter weight loss supplements and discuss their weight loss claims, potential benefits, and potential dangers with their use.
Safety, Regulations, And Quality Assurance of Over-the-Counter Supplements (Or lack Thereof) Overview: Supplements sold in the US do not have to be proven safe or effective prior to being soldto the public, buy why is this? Are there ways to ensure that the products you recommend are from a reputable source that have been properly tested for purity? Are there red flags to help steer clear from adulterated products? In this course we take a look at (the lack of) regulations, standards, and quality control of supplements sold in the US, and discuss ways to find and recommend high quality, third party tested products to our patients.
Faculty:
Brianne Wolf, PharmD, BCACP
Dr. Brianne Wolf is a Clinical Pharmacist currently working in Chronic Care Management. She received her PharmD from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in 2010 and her Board Certification in Ambulatory Care (BCACP) in 2021. Brianne also has several years of experience working in both community and in-patient hospital pharmacy settings. She thoroughly enjoys learning about and teaching healthy lifestyle modifications in the prevention and management of chronic disease. In her free time, Brianne enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time with her husband and their 3 children.
Some important notes to remember regarding the Supplementation Specialty Pharmacist Certificate:
Registration costs $150 for members, $250 for non-members.
Once you have completed the specialty certificate, you are eligible to claim a sharable digital badge. Learn more about badges here.
This program's final exam consists of 50 unique multiple-choice questions.
You have only three (3) attempts to pass the final exam.
You may not leave the final exam in the middle and return at a later time.
The final exam has no time limit; however, we recommend that you write the answers down in case you lose your Internet connection or get interrupted while taking the exam.
You will earn continuing education credit as you complete each activity, totaling 11.75 credits upon final completion
You will have 12 months to complete the specialty certificate before it expires from your account.
This specialty certificate is ONLY accredited for pharmacists.
