VSPN TECH173-1020: Canine and Feline Pharmacology

The lectures for this course will be presented in an audio format using a webinar platform.

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Presenters: Darci Palmer, LVT, VTS (Anesthesia), Courtney Liermann, CVT, LVT, VTS(ECC)
and
Lee Palmer, DVM, MS, DACVECC
Course Open: October 28, 2020-December 26, 2020
Real Time Sessions (RTS): Wednesdays November 4, 11, 18, (no class on the 25th), and December 2, 9 and 16 2020, 8:30-10PM ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate course will be open to veterinarians, veterinary technicians/technologists, support staff, veterinary teams, etc. interested in canine and feline pharmacology.
VSPN CE Course: This course has been RACE approved for veterinarians/veterinary techncians/technologists.(22-43750)

Course Information:
This course is designed to help the participant understand the fundamentals of small animal clinical pharmacology. The course will cover the major pharmacological drug classes used in veterinary medicine. The drug classes will be organized by the organ system that they have an effect on. An overview of physiology for each organ system will also be included to help the participant understand how each drug class elicits its effect. The real time sessions will focus on clinical application of select drugs for each organ system.

Week 1 (Real Time Session November 4): Basic Principles of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Intra-/Inter- Species Differences
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Define key pharmacological terms.
  • Discuss factors that affect drug pharmacokinetics.
  • Discuss factors that affect drug pharmacodynamics.
  • Evaluate inter- and intra- species differences which can affect drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
Week 2 (Real Time Session November 11): Neuropharmacology and Analgesics
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Understand the basic physiology of the nervous system.
  • Discuss key therapeutic drug classes and specific drugs used in neuropharmacology.
  • Understand and review the pain pathway.
  • Discuss key classes of analgesics.
  • Recognize clinical application of these drugs in practice.
Week 3 (Real Time Session November 18): Cardiovascular and Respiratory
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Understand basic physiology of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
  • Discuss key drug classes that affect the cardiovascular system.
  • Discuss key drug classes that affect the respiratory system.
  • Recognize clinical application of these drugs in practice.
Week 4 (Real Time Session December 2): Gastrointestinal, Hepatic, and Endocrine
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Understand the basic physiology associated with the gastrointestinal, hepatic and endocrine organ systems.
  • Discuss key drug classes that affect the gastrointestinal system.
  • Discuss key drug classes that affect the hepatic system.
  • Discuss key drug classes that are used for hyper- and hypoadrenocorticism, hyper- and hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus.
  • Recognize clinical application of these drugs in practice.
Week 5 (Real Time Session December 9): Corticosteroid, Immunosuppressant and Topical Dermatology
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Understand basic physiology surrounding corticosteroid and immunosuppressant pharmacotherapy.
  • Discuss common uses and contraindications for corticosteroid and immunosuppressant pharmacotherapy.
  • Evaluate commonly used topical drugs and formulations for certain dermatological conditions.
  • Recognize clinical application of these drugs in practice.
Week 6 (Real Time Session December 16): Antimicrobial Therapy, Drug Interactions, and Overview of Administrative Drug Aspects
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
  • Discuss antimicrobial drug classes, conditions requiring antimicrobial use and the most common pathogenic bacterial organism involved for certain organ system infections.
  • Evaluate the most appropriate empirical antimicrobial drug class used to treat a particular infection.
  • Understand factors that contribute to drug interactions and adverse drug reactions.
  • Discuss the technician’s role in prescription labeling, drug inventory and classification of controlled drugs.
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course. To learn more about the requirements for earning a CE certificate, please refer to Receiving Your CE Credit and Course Completion Certificate.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.
Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Presentes:
Darci Palmer has been a credentialed veterinary technician for 20 years and a VTS (Anesthesia & Analgesia) for 14 years. The majority of her work experience has been at a university teaching hospital where she enjoys teaching veterinary students and veterinary technicians about anesthesia and analgesia. Darci believes that a good working knowledge of pharmacology is essential for proper anesthesia case management especially for patients that present with concurrent systemic disease or conditions.
Courtney Liermann began as a veterinary assistant in 2002 through a high school "work-study" program. This initial employment sparked her desire to enroll in Harcum College's Veterinary Technology Program, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. While enrolled in the college, she attained her first emergency position in 2005. Upon graduation in 2006, Courtney acquired her CVT in Pennsylvania. She continued to work in emergency medicine and eventually decided to expand her horizons, relocating to Austin in 2008. Courtney continued to gain experience in emergency and specialty, working towards and attaining her VTS in Emergency and Critical Care in 2014.Courtney has held teaching positions with AVMA accredited programs, including Sanford-Brown College, Austin Community College and Penn Foster College. She enjoys speaking on the many exciting subjects that emergency/critical care covers. She is a member of VECCS, AVECCTN, TVMA, and VTAT.
Dr. Lee Palmer is a board-certified Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian and consultant for VIN's Emergency and Critical Care Folder. He provides training and consultation in K9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (K9 TECC) to military, law enforcement and civilian tactical EMS personnel; Dr. Palmer serves in the following capacities: Veterinary Corps Officer, US Army Reserve Veterinary Corps; Founding member and co-lead of the K9 Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (K9 TECC) working group; Lead of the Veterinary Committee on Trauma (VetCOT) Prehospital subcommittee; Adjunct Instructor for North Carolina State University's “K9 Down” program; Veterinary Consultant for the USAF Pararescue group, US Marshals Service (USMS), and Department of Homeland Security; Section Head for the Ongoing series Canine Medicine, Journal of Special Operations Medicine; Reserve Deputy Sheriff and certified SWAT paramedic for the Lee County Sheriff's Office; and Certified Explosive Detection Canine Handler. Dr. Palmer has a special interest in clinical pharmacology, since its application plays a vital role in every patient's treatment strategy.

Total CE Credit: 9

Tuition: $189 ($170 early bird special if enrolled by October 14, 2020)
* Students currently enrolled in and taking at least 2 classes or 5 units at an AVMA accredited or CVMA approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).

Prices are listed in US dollars.

*To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close on November 4, 2020 at 5 pm ET (USA) or when the maximum number of participants is reached.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

To Enroll:
  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
  4. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
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This course has been RACE approved for veterinarians/veterinary techncians/technologists.(22-43750)

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN office 800-846-0028 ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VSPN's upcoming CE courses, check the VSPN Course Catalog.

Lisa Kernaghan, LVT, RVT, CVT, VTS (ECC)
VSPN CE Coordinator

VSPN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357