Improving Outcomes and Quality of Care in Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema: Patient-Centered Strategies in Managed Care

Program Description
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) remain leading causes of vision loss and cause substantial quality of life burden among older adults. The same pathways involving vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietin-2 (ang-2) contribute to the development of nAMD and DME and have become treatment targets. However, disease management with VEGF inhibitors and monoclonal antibody therapies require frequent intravitreal injections, which can limit patient access to therapy and impact treatment affordability. This supplement to The American Journal of Managed Care® will review new formulations and advancements in nAMD and DME aimed at addressing these treatment burdens to improve patient adherence and outcomes. Real-world evidence will be examined to highlight opportunities for managed care pharmacists to best incorporate new and emerging intravitreal treatment options into management plans for patients with nAMD and DME to reduce health care resource utilization and direct medical costs.

Target Audience: Managed care pharmacists

Type of Activity: Application
Release date: April 28, 2023
Expiration date: June 14, 2024

Time to complete activity: 3.0 hours
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Explore the disease and treatment burden that impact quality of life and visual outcomes for patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME)
• Investigate the efficacy and safety data for emerging therapies and various treatment approaches for nAMD and DME
• Identify the best practices for managed care professionals to integrate the latest data and advances in treatment to improve outcomes for patients with nAMD and DME

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education^™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 3.0 contact hours (0.30 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-23-193-H01-P. The activity is available for CE credit through June 14, 2024.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, read the article in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Disclosures

Faculty

Arghavan Almony, MD, has the following relevant financial relationship with a commercial interest to disclose:

Consultant: Cardinal Health

Khalid M. Kamal, MPharm, PhD, has the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Grant/Research Support: Cerevel Therapeutics, EMD Serono

Consultant: Pfizer/Cytel Inc

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Medical Writing and Editorial Support

Andrew Abe, PharmD; Faria Munir, PharmD, MS, BCPS; and Jeannette Y. Wick, RPh, MBA, FASB, have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education^™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Maryjo Dixon, RPh, MBA; Casey Covrett, PharmD; Crissy Wilson; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta.

Anonymous peer reviewers were used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewers have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Disclosure Policy
According to the disclosure policy of The American Journal of Managed Care® and Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™, all persons who are in a position to control content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. If a conflict is identified, it is the responsibility of Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ to initiate a mechanism to resolve the conflict(s). The existence of these relationships is not viewed as implying bias or decreasing the value of the activity. All educational materials are reviewed for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies reported, and levels of evidence.

Disclosure of Unapproved/Off-Label Use
The contents of this activity may include information regarding the use of products that may be inconsistent with or outside the approved labeling for these products in the United States. Participants should note that the use of these products outside current approved labeling is considered experimental and they are advised to consult prescribing information for these products.

The information provided in this CE activity is for continuing medical and pharmacy education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical or pharmacy judgment of a physician or pharmacist relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition.

The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™, or any of the companies that provided commercial support for this CE activity.

Signed disclosures are on file at the office of The American Journal of Managed Care®, Cranbury, New Jersey.

Educational Disclaimer
CPE activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or they may be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

For questions about this internet CPE activity, please contact:
[email protected]
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Information:
www.pharmacytimes.org/terms