MCE Conferences Pharmacology and Rheumatology for Primary Care October 2 – 4, 2026

Description

+ Include:  videos + file sub vtt +  pdf, size:  GB

+ Target Audience: Internists, Family Medicine Physicians, Rheumatologists, Clinical Pharmacologists, Geriatricians, Nephrologists, Psychiatrists, and Pain Medicine Specialists

+ Sample video: contact me for sample video

+ Information:

This conference is designed to provide primary care practitioners with up-to-date, evidence-based information on commonly encountered issues in Pharmacology and Rheumatology while suggesting pragmatic approaches to clinical management. The discussion-based format of the conference will encourage audience participation through dynamic lectures, case-based studies, and hands-on workshops. Keynote speakers will present and critically assess recent advancements and industry updates in Pharmacology and Rheumatology, with the goal of enhancing the knowledge-base and core competence of attendees. The successful completion of this interactive program will help you in diagnosing, treating, and prescribing the most effective courses of treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes.

Learning Objectives

• Describe evolving opioid prescribing and regulatory practices in the United States, apply updated guidelines, and establish best practices for managing chronic nonmalignant pain safely.

• Discuss psychopharmacotherapy for depression using clinical cases, correlating neurochemical alterations with therapeutic targets, safety, tolerability, and guideline-recommended agents.

• Differentiate between inflammatory and noninflammatory causes of arthralgias and myalgias, identify red flag conditions, and interpret diagnostic laboratory and imaging evaluations.

• Formulate evidence-based management plans for noninflammatory musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoarthritis, soft tissue pain syndromes, and fibromyalgia.

• Recognize clinical presentations of common inflammatory arthritides, select appropriate diagnostic studies, and initiate timely disease-modifying therapies (DMARDs) and biologic agents.

• Assess patient-specific safety profiles, contraindications, and monitoring requirements for biologic therapies in the primary care setting.

• Apply age-sensitive pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles to avoid drug injury, manage inappropriate polypharmacy, and mitigate high-risk drug-drug/drug-supplement interactions in older adults.

• Implement consensus recommendations for the evaluation, cardiovascular risk assessment, and pharmacological management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to delay progression.

• Differentiate symptoms of insomnia and anxiety disorders, especially in elderly patients, and implement behavioral and pharmacologic treatment strategies.

• Diagnose and manage crystal-associated arthropathies (gout, CPPD) through acute flare abortive therapy and individualized treat-to-target urate-lowering regimens.

• Recognize systemic connective tissue diseases (lupus, systemic sclerosis, inflammatory myopathies) and evaluate treatment options using immunosuppressive therapies.

Target Audience

All Physicians and other Healthcare Professionals seeking clinical information about issues in Pharmacology and Rheumatology.

Best for Internists, Family Medicine Physicians, Rheumatologists, Clinical Pharmacologists, Geriatricians, Nephrologists, Psychiatrists, and Pain Medicine Specialists.

Topics

• Friday, October 2nd

  • Best Practices in Prescribing Opioids: A Regulatory Perspective (Objectives: 1) Describe evolving opioid prescribing and regulatory practices in the United States 2) Discuss recently released opioid prescribing guidelines, while highlighting the relevance to primary care providers 3) Determine best practices for managing patients with chronic nonmalignant pain, while highlighting guidance from a regulatory perspective 4) Discuss cases, investigations, and licensure outcomes involving prescribers and opioids to identify practice improvement opportunities)

  • Optimizing Psychopharmacotherapy in Depression: Clinical Cases (Objectives: 1) Discuss pharmacologic management options within clinical cases of patients with depression 2) Relate physiologic and pathophysiologic alterations of brain neurochemistry to symptoms of depression, including the genetic link and molecular basis of injury 3) Apply clinical practice guidelines for antidepressant therapies 4) Identify key parameters for medications used to treat mechanism, safety, tolerability, efficacy, cost, and simplicity of use)

  • Approach to the Patient with Arthralgias and Myalgias (Objectives: 1) Describe the differences between inflammatory and noninflammatory causes of joint and muscle pain 2) Identify essential red flag conditions and when to refer 3) Explain the basic interpretation of diagnostic tests common in the evaluation of someone with joint and muscle pain 4) Reinforce essential physical exam skills in evaluating patients with arthritis 5) Confidently apply this information to daily practice)

  • When It’s Not Inflammatory: A Practical Approach to Osteoarthritis, Soft Tissue Pain & Fibromyalgia (Objectives: 1) Recognize the clinical features, risk factors, and typical joint distribution of osteoarthritis 2) Identify features that suggest secondary osteoarthritis 3) Develop an evidence-based, individualized management plan for osteoarthritis 4) Evaluate and manage common noninflammatory regional musculoskeletal disorders 5) Recognize fibromyalgia and apply a practical primary care approach to diagnosis and management)

• Saturday, October 3rd

  • Making Sense of Inflammatory Arthritis: Clues, Diagnosis, and Therapy (Objectives: 1) Recognize the characteristic clinical presentations of common inflammatory arthritides 2) Select and interpret appropriate laboratory and imaging studies 3) Explain the importance of early diagnosis, timely rheumatology referral, and disease-modifying therapy 4) Describe the major treatment strategies for inflammatory arthritis)

  • The Rheumatology Patient in Primary Care: What to Watch, What to Prevent, When to Worry (Objectives: 1) Discuss the new generation of biological therapies used to treat autoimmune arthritic disorders 2) Recognize the risks associated with biological therapies 3) Assess patient-specific factors to optimize the safety and efficacy of biological therapies 4) Develop a deeper understanding of the role of the primary care physician in the care of patients taking these medications)

  • Optimizing Drug Therapy and Avoiding Drug Injury in the Older Adult: Part 1 (Objectives: 1) Discuss key physiologic and pathophysiologic changes of aging that impact drug therapy 2) Apply age-sensitive principles for medication dosing and management to patient scenarios)

  • Optimizing Drug Therapy and Avoiding Drug Injury in the Older Adult: Part 2 (Objectives: 1) List nine key questions useful for identifying and managing inappropriate polypharmacy, such as unnecessary medication use in older adults 2) Apply practical tools to screen and appropriately manage complex drug regimens among older adults with or at-risk for drug injury 3) Discuss high-risk drug-drug and drug-dietary supplement interactions commonly encountered in primary care, including best practices in identifying and managing related toxicities)

• Sunday, October 4th

  • Best Practices in Chronic Kidney Disease: Highlights from Latest Guidelines and Expert Recommendations (Objectives: 1) Describe latest evidence and expert consensus guidance for the evaluation and risk assessment of individuals with CKD 2) Discuss medications used to delay CKD progression and manage its complications, including mechanism, safety, tolerability, efficacy, price, and simplicity of use 3) Review strategies to identify and manage cardiovascular risk in individuals with CKD 4) Summarize key recommendations for primary care in the evaluation, prevention, and management of CKD)

  • Managing Anxiety and Sleep Disorders: Drug and Non-Pharmacologic Considerations (Objectives: 1) Describe signs and symptoms of common sleep disorders and anxiety disorders with a focus on older adults 2) Discuss common anxiety disorders, including the neurobiological basis of disease, clinical presentation, assessment, and approach to treatment 3) Recognize evidence-based treatments for insomnia and common anxiety disorders, including lifestyle, behavioral, and pharmacologic interventions 4) Identify key parameters that warrant referral to specialty care for individuals with insomnia and/or anxiety disorders)

  • When Crystals Attack: Gout, CPPD, and Crystal Arthritis for Primary Care (Objectives: 1) Recognize the characteristic clinical presentations of gout, CPPD, and other crystal-associated arthropathies 2) Apply appropriate diagnostic strategies for crystal arthritis 3) Select appropriate therapy for an acute gout or CPPD flare 4) Identify patients who should receive urate-lowering therapy and implement a treat-to-target approach 5) Recognize important comorbidities, secondary causes, and treatment-related safety issues in crystal arthritis)

  • What You Need to Know About Connective Tissue Diseases (Objectives: 1) Review connective tissue diseases such as lupus, scleroderma, myositis and others and how they present clinically 2) Highlight the value of selective lab and imaging testing to establish the diagnosis 3) Evaluate the treatment approach using immunosuppressive therapies 4) Develop a deeper understanding of the role of the primary care physician in the care of these patients)