Immunizations are the most effective intervention to prevent illness in infants and children worldwide, yet we are seeing a growing number of parents choose not to immunize their children.  This presentation will review current immunization rates of children and adolescents in the U.S. and worldwide to inform the NP provider of the importance of getting every child fully vaccinated.  The updated ACIP/CDC 2025 recommended child and adolescent immunizations will be discussed and strategies for encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated will be examined.  Resources for practice will be shared to enable the NP to incorporate multiple methods for encouraging families to fully immunize their children.

 

This presentation will provide a concise review and update on empiric "bugs and drugs" commonly utilized in emergency care. We will briefly review the classes of medications, their common side effects, and interactions. Using a body system approach, we will cover current recommendations for appropriate empiric agents for conditions including HEENT infections, community and hospital-acquired pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, sexually transmitted and urinary tract infections. We will also discuss chemical prophylaxis, sepsis, and viral infections, including influenza, COVID-19, and herpes zoster. Throughout the presentation, we will emphasize the importance of antimicrobial stewardship.

 

Updates on the clinical benefits of SGLT2-I in Diabetes Care and other guidelines directed therapy.

 

This session will be case based and will be a deep dive into complex pain treatment in the inpatient setting. Whether you practice inpatient or outpatient pain management, you will have lots to take away. How to transition from oral to IV pain medications, including PCA pumps. How to calculate equianalgesic dosing and opioid rotate appropriately. What to do with patients on chronic opioids that suddenly have acute pain needs. This session will help the provider feel more competent in pain care delivery.

 

After the FDA required long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) for all new diabetes agents in 2009 to ensure safety, the results of CVOTs demonstrated positive outcomes that favored heart and kidney protection in additional to glucose lowering. These unexpected results have led to new indications for many of these newly approved agents, and several of them can now be used for patients who do not have type 2 diabetes. Another unexpected trend for many of the newer agents typically used for type 2 diabetes is that practitioners other than endocrinology or primary care are prescribing them. These changes reflect a needed shift in focus away from a traditional gluco-centric view for people with diabetes. Due to the bidirectional relationship that diabetes shows with cardiovascular risks and/or disease and chronic kidney disease, treatment guidelines are endorsing a more outcome-oriented approach to diabetes management. Therefore, this session will review the evidence for sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitors (SGLT2is) and their positive influence on reduced hospitalization and deaths attributed to heart failure as well as reduced nephropathy. In addition, the evidence favoring GLP-1s for the reduction in macrovascular and renal complications will be discussed.

 

This session will explore the historical development, current landscape, and future directions of anticoagulants. Nurse Practitioners will gain an understanding of the clotting cascade, patient-specific safety considerations, and evidence-based prescribing practices. Through case-based learning and clinical pearls, participants will be prepared to manage anticoagulation across diverse clinical settings.

 

This session will provide a review of common and newer medications used or encountered in emergency care settings. Using case studies, clinical vignettes, and a body system approach, we will review select medications. This review will cover mechanisms of actions, indications, side effects, interactions, considerations for monitoring, related guidelines, and supporting evidence. By the end of this session, emergency nurse practitioners will have a renewed understanding of common medications used to manage both acute and chronic conditions.

 

GLP-1 receptor agonists are transforming the management of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. This presentation offers an in-depth review of their mechanisms, evolution, indications, and safety concerns. Using a case-based approach, this session will highlight best practices and potential future directions in GLP-1 therapy.

 

Immunizations are among our best preventive measures for reducing infectious diseases and cancers. This presentation will assist the APRN in understanding the most recent updates in immunization recommendations. It will also help the NP make the best patient-centered vaccine recommendations to improve the patient's health and well-being. In addition, strategies for improving vaccine rates, providing shared clinical decision-making and having meaningful discussions with vaccine-hesitant individuals.

 

This presentation will examine the assessment and management of oncological patients presenting with infectious concerns and address initial assessment, imaging, laboratory studies, antimicrobial management, and the role of specialty consults.

 

This presentation will focus on the most common challenges that NPs face in primary care with initiating and adjusting insulin therapy in Type 2 Diabetes management and solutions to address these challenges. A case study approach will be utilized to demonstrate practical applications in the clinical setting.

 

Local anesthetics are administered daily for many procedures in various clinical settings for patients across the lifespan; however, the complication of local anesthetic system toxicity (LAST) is often missing or briefly discussed in training programs for clinicians. It is crucial for any provider administering local anesthetic to be knowledgeable of risk factors and early recognition, including common central nervous system and cardiovascular manifestations of LAST. Additionally, the provider should be knowledgeable about the emergent management of LAST reviewing the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine checklist, pharmacologic interventions and deviations from routine advanced resuscitative measures. Upon completion of this presentation, the nurse practitioner should also be able to identify prevention strategies that can be implemented into clinical practice.

 

As obesity is increasingly recognized as a chronic, progressive, and neurobehavioral disease, pharmacologic treatment has become a cornerstone of effective, long-term management. This presentation will provide a comprehensive review of current and emerging anti-obesity medications, focusing on mechanisms of action, indications, dosing strategies, contraindications, and adverse effect profiles. Participants will explore drug classes including sympathomimetic agents, GLP-1 receptor agonists, combination therapies, and newer agents such as dual and triple incretin receptor agonists. Clinical case studies will guide the application of pharmacologic principles in real-world scenarios, emphasizing individualized therapy based on comorbidities and patient preferences. The session will also address deprescribing obesogenic medications and optimizing polypharmacy in complex patients. Additionally, the presentation will highlight systemic challenges, including limited pharmacotherapy utilization and weight-related bias in prescribing patterns. Nurse practitioners will gain enhanced competency in selecting, initiating, titrating, and monitoring obesity medications in alignment with current clinical guidelines and evidence-based practice.

 

Pharmacogenetics is the impact of genetic variants on an individual's response to medications or pharmacologic agents. In some situations, genetics dictate pharmacologic interventions, as there are medications that target the pathology of genetic diseases. Examples of this include CFTR-modifying drugs for Cystic Fibrosis or ion channel-modifying drugs for specific forms of genetic epilepsy. In contrast, individuals with the same disease, with or without a genetic component, may respond differently to medications due to their genetics. Different polymorphisms, or variants in specific genes, can impact an individual's response to specific medications, leading to toxicities or lack of therapeutic responses. Genetic testing can provide another data point in the pharmacologic management of a patient. We will provide examples of patient cases to illustrate these concepts.

 

This presentation examines the most current epidemiologic data on HIV infection in the United States, including an overview of persons at highest risk, the most recent CDC data on incidence and prevalence (including geographic, sex, ethnic, and transmission variations), and the impacts of recent advances in prevention on HIV infection rates globally. Evidence-based content will be provided regarding: 1) Safe prescribing of oral and injectable FDA-approved pharmacologic agents used for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP); 2) Appropriate long- and short-term PrEP treatment plans, including the 2-1-1 method for PrEP; 3) Proper implementation of CDC algorithms for preventing HIV through post-exposure prophylaxis using pharmacologic methods; 4) Clinical interpretation of CD4 counts and HIV RNA levels (viral load) and the significance undetectable viral loads in the elimination of risk of sexual transmission; and 5) The responsibility of nurse practitioners in leading future scholarship and clinical practice initiatives aimed at preventing HIV infection and reducing health disparities in vulnerable populations.

 

This session provides nurse practitioners with a comprehensive overview of evidence-based pharmacological interventions for managing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The presentation will primarily focus on established treatment modalities for cognitive symptoms and functional decline. Attendees will learn practical approaches to managing common neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, from anxiety and depression to disordered sleep, agitation, and psychosis, with special consideration of risk-benefit analyses for various medication classes. The session will address important considerations for geriatric pharmacology. We will also discuss appropriate use of emerging therapies in the Alzheimer's treatment landscape, including disease-modifying treatments. Participants will gain practical knowledge to optimize referrals to subspecialist care and treatment, along with guidance for medication management for patients with dementia, focusing on appropriate drug selection, symptom target identification, and monitoring for therapeutic outcomes and adverse effects.

 

Emergency and acute care nurse practitioners frequently encounter patients with various toxic exposures and ingestions, whether accidental or intentional. Managing these cases often requires navigating complex and evolving treatment strategies. This presentation will cover common toxidromes, a broad spectrum of toxins, medications, and substances, as well as emerging drugs of abuse such as xylazine. Additionally, innovative treatment approaches, including high-dose insulin therapy and intralipid administration, will be explored. By the end of this session, participants will gain updated knowledge and practical strategies to enhance their management of toxicological emergencies.

 

This presentation will dive into the recent Sepsis Guidelines with a special focus on the pharmacology involved in treating critically ill patients with sepsis.

 

This presentation will highlight some of the key updates in endocrine pharmacology in 2025 in important areas such as testosterone management, insulin/anti-hyperglycemics, weight management, and continuous glucose monitoring.

 

This presentation will provide a clinical overview of the latest advances in the use of long-acting injectables for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. Information on patient selection, monitoring, and follow-up will be reviewed. Challenges and strategies to overcome barriers to implementation in clinical practice will also be highlighted.

 

This session will review the use of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 ras) to manage patients at high risks for metabolic-cardiovascular-renal disease. The pharmacokinetics and mechanisms of action of the class of agents will be explored, emphasizing the mechanisms that are theorized to improve multiple patient outcomes. The GLP-1ra agents will be compared in terms of efficacy, weight loss, side effects and contraindications. Future application and indications of several agents will be included as well as pearls of practice to improve overall patient adherence.

 

Up to 38% of children in the U.S. take at least one dietary supplement. Parents use a variety of sources to determine whether they give their child a vitamin or supplement. The evidence for the use of vitamins and supplements in children varies based on the substance. This presentation will discuss commonly used vitamins and supplements in children including the current evidence regarding safety and effectiveness, with recommendations for practice.

 

Effective pain management requires a shift in perspective - from seeking a quick fix to embracing a comprehensive, multimodal approach. This presentation explores the reality that pain relief is a process, grounded in both science and individualized care. This includes the importance of patient expectations, measurable outcomes beyond pain scores, and the clinical significance of pain improvement. Attendees will gain insight into the nuanced use of over the counter analgesics, prescription medications, and topical agents, including their risks, mechanisms of action, and patient conversation points. A practical review of opioid use - including selection, risk assessment, rotation, and safety strategies - will be included, along with a discussion of special considerations like opioid-induced constipation, the role of PAMORAs, and naloxone prescribing. This is a real-world, evidence-based guide to pharmacologic pain management, with case studies, clinical pearls, and safety tips. Whether you're new to pain management or looking to care for these patients in primary care or practices that focus on other specialties, you'll leave with tools to create more meaningful, measurable treatment plans that align with what truly matters to patients - their function, sleep, and quality of life.