Breaking Down Pharmacology CEUs for Nurse Practitioners

• Pharmacology CEUs for nurse practitioners include a variety of topics, ranging from migraine management to SSRI use for those who have major depressive disorder.
• Nursing CE Central has packaged a dozen courses in a quick-and-easy bundle that offers 25 pharmacology credit hours upon completion.
• State-specific courses related to pharmacology CEUs for nurse practitioners also are available.

Pharmacology CEUs for nurse practitioners include a variety of topics, ranging from migraine management to SSRI use for those who have major depressive disorder.

Nursing CE Central has packaged a dozen courses in a quick-and-easy bundle that offers 25 pharmacology credit hours upon completion.

State-specific courses related to pharmacology CEUs for nurse practitioners also are available.

Review the offerings and begin your pharmacology CEUs today.

APRN Pharmacology Bundle 

The APRN pharmacology bundle features courses relevant to APRNs and RNs, including:

Controlled Substances

Amid the opioid epidemic, new legislation, guidelines, and regulations for prescribing have been established. APRNs who complete this course will better understand how to assess pain, the most commonly prescribed opioids, their mechanism of action, side effects, and safe prescribing practices.

This course benefits practitioners who want to obtain DEA registration to prescribe opioids in their current practice. 

Tirzepatide for Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Management 

Learn about the GIP GLP-1 medication tirzepatide, more commonly known as Mounjaro. This medication has grown in popularity in recent years due to its impact on weight loss. Providers need to know about the clinical indications for usage, its mechanism of action, and inclusion criteria before prescribing.

Semaglutide and Type 2 Diabetes 

In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of semaglutide injection (commonly known as Ozempic) to treat Type 2 diabetes.

The drug has been widely accepted due to its positive effects on weight loss and lowering chronic health risks. Several celebrities have also publicly shared their Ozempic-based weight loss journeys.

However, its popularity has caused significant shortages, negatively impacting the lives of the diabetic community, local pharmacies, and healthcare providers.

This continuing education program educates and empowers healthcare providers as it relates to clinical indications, patient education, cost options, and benefit/risk analysis of semaglutide.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT)

Half of people 12 years old and older have reported using an illicit substance at least once, and 21 million Americans experience addiction. Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) combines counseling and behavioral therapies for addiction with medications used at careful dosages to reduce physical symptoms of cravings and withdrawal.

Hypertensive Agents 

Nurses learn about the latest research on medications to treat hypertension, the pharmacokinetics of these medications, and considerations for prescribers.

Migraine Management 

This course provides nurses with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the complex nature of migraines through pharmaceutical interventions. 

After completing this course, nurses will be able to:

• Understand the migraine medications and neurobiological and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying migraines. 
• Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to ensure patient safety when prescribing and administering migraine medications.

Asthma Treatment and Monitoring

This course provides an overview of medications used to manage and treat asthma. Nurses explore the purpose of asthma medications, stages of asthma clinical presentation, asthmatic medical implications on quality of life, and asthma research.

SSRI Use in Major Depressive Disorder

Gain an understanding of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a type of pharmaceutical drug class used to manage major depressive disorder (MDD). Nurses explore the purpose of SSRIs, common symptoms associated with SSRI use, SSRI implications on quality of life, and SSRI research.

Anticoagulant Therapy

Gain an understanding of the uses, and pharmacokinetics of, various anticoagulants and recognize considerations for prescribers and upcoming research.

SNRIs for Depression

Learn about Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI) use for depression, including pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, side effects, and nursing implications. Upon completion, nurses will be able to.

Corticosteroid Therapy

Designed primarily for the nurse clinician working in adult care settings, this course explores the inner workings of the immune and endocrine systems to the role corticosteroids play in treating acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. It also covers the latest clinical practice guidelines on corticosteroid use.

Anti-Arrhythmics

Gain foundational knowledge of advancements in antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) therapy, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics involved in treating arrhythmias, the management of drug overdoses, and challenges posed by various antiarrhythmic drugs. 

Enroll in the NCC APRN Pharmacology Bundle 

State-Specific Pharmacology CEUs for Nurse Practitioners 

Several states also require particular pharmacology CEUs for nurse practitioners.

Those include safe prescribing of opioids in: 

• Wyoming 
• Illinois  
• Iowa  
• Nebraska 
• Indiana 
• Maine 
• New Jersey

These courses help nurses better understand safe prescribing practices of opioids and medications used to treat opioid use disorders. Guidelines set forth by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are discussed at length. 

Other state-specific pharmacology CEU courses for nurse practitioners focus on pain management and are required for: 

• Pennsylvania  
• New Mexico  

The last set of state-specific courses focus on controlled substances and related risks: 

• Mississippi Controlled Substance 
• Arizona Schedule II Controlled Substances and Risks of Addiction 
• California Schedule II Controlled Substances and Risk of Addiction 
• Kentucky Pharmacology and Addiction Disorders 
• California Schedule II Controlled Substances and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome 

Kentucky also requires a pharmacology of medical cannabis course to help nurses understand how it works in the body and what conditions it can be used for. The course also examines Kentucky’s prescribing laws and regulations for medical cannabis.  

Non-Bundled Pharmacology CEUs for Nurse Practitioners 

Nursing CE Central also has several courses that provide pharmacology contact hours that are not included in the APRN bundle. Those include: 

Opioid Use and Addiction Disorders 

This course helps nurses understand the opioid epidemic and opioid use disorder. Participants learn about opioids and how they are used medically and illicitly. The risks of opioid use, dependence, and addiction will be covered, along with the signs of opioid intoxication, withdrawal, and overdose.

Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain 

Gain understanding on the pharmacokinetics of opioids, considerations for prescribers, and upcoming research.

Schedule II Controlled Substances and Risks of Addiction 

The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles regarding Schedule II drugs will be discussed, as well as the ethical and legal requirements associated with their use.

DVT Treatment

This is designed to assist RNs and APRNs in reviewing and understanding the mechanisms of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), its causes, risks, and treatments.

Oral Hypoglycemic Medications 

This course reviews the basics of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the various oral hypoglycemic agents used to treat this disorder. It also covers the oral hypoglycemic agent names, mechanism of action, dosing, monitoring, side effects, contraindications, and considerations for prescribing oral hypoglycemic agents.

Antipsychotic Prescribing 

This course covers psychosis, prescribing antipsychotic medications, and the nurse’s role in care management. Those who complete the course will be able to: 

• Recognize how antipsychotics affect the brain and central nervous system.  
• Explain the mechanism of action of first- and second-generation antipsychotics.  
• Review the importance of holistic care when weighing the risks and benefits in prescribing antipsychotic medications. 

SSRI Use in Anxiety Disorders 

This course reviews the use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders. It also covers the mechanism of action, metabolism, dosing, monitoring, side effects, contraindications, and considerations when prescribing SSRIs.

Inpatient Antibiotic Therapy 

Designed primarily for the nurse clinician working in adult care inpatient settings, this course focuses on the basics of bacteria up to current-day best practices for antibiotic prescribing/administration and management of drug-resistant organisms.

Antibiotic Use in UTI 

Explore guidelines for antibiotic use in UTI. Upon completion, nurses will be able to differentiate between uncomplicated and complicated UTI and between the classes of antibiotics and their mechanism of action.

Hormone Replacement Therapy 

This course explores Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) with a focus on testosterone and estrogen replacement. Topics range from clinical criteria for prescribing to dissecting the mechanisms of action, routes of administration, and potential side effects.

GAHT Prescribing 

This course aims to increase APRNs’ knowledge and ability to prescribe comprehensive and compassionate care to transgendered persons.

Oral STI Medications 

This course offers an overview of oral medications used to manage and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Explore the purpose of oral STI medications, common symptoms associated with oral STI medication, medical implications on quality of life, and oral medication and STI research.

Guidelines for Outpatient Antibiotic Therapy 

Designed primarily for the nurse clinician working in adult care outpatient settings, this course explores the first antibiotic discovery in U.S. history up to current-day best practices for antibiotic prescribing and administration. 

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