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Available Until 5/7/2028

Perioperative Pharmacy Services Certificate

ACPE Numbers: Various - see below
Release Date: May 7, 2025
Expiration Date: May 7, 2028
Activity Type: Application-based

CE Credit Hours: 29.5 contact hours

Overview

This certificate’s self-guided, online learning activities are intended for pharmacists and are designed to build the knowledge and skills needed to provide pre-, intra-, and postoperative pharmacy services, and to contribute to the care of surgical patients as a member of the interdisciplinary surgical team. The curriculum addresses the following topics:

  • Practicing in the perioperative environment
    • Roles of various surgical personnel, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
    • Common surgical procedures, surgical terminology, and documentation
    • Infection prevention and control in the surgical setting
    • Pharmacy services in traditional hospital-based surgical departments and ambulatory surgery centers
  • Medication distribution and technology in surgical settings
  • Special considerations for sterile preparations used intraoperatively
  • Medication safety in perioperative settings
  • Regulatory compliance, accreditation, and quality improvement related to perioperative pharmacy services
  • Pharmacist’s role in transitions of care for surgical patients
  • Pharmacotherapy
    • Anesthesia including general, regional, local, and monitored anesthesia care (MAC); and response to anesthesia-related emergencies (malignant hyperthermia, local anesthetic systemic toxicity)
    • Non-anesthesia medications utilized during the perioperative period including bowel preparations; intravenous fluids; intraoperative resuscitation and life support; and surgical use of dyes, cements, and irrigations
    • Management of postoperative symptoms and complications including enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, pain, nausea and vomiting, bowel management and ileus, and shivering
    • Hemostasis and thrombosis management including, but not limited to, venous thromboembolism risk assessment and prophylaxis
    • Surgical infection prophylaxis and treatment

Perioperative Pharmacy Services Certificate Requirement

Once a learner has completed the educational curriculum, they will have the opportunity to complete an online comprehensive exam. Once the learner completes the exam (minimum 80% passing rate; unlimited attempts permitted), they will earn the professional certificate.