THE 2024 COHORT IS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION. REGISTRATION CLOSES JANUARY 5, 2024.
START DATE: January 11, 2024
About This Course
96 CE | $3250 (Equal Split Payments available)
Prescribing is another milestone in your professional career as a dental hygienist. As a professional, you have the skills and knowledge to manage your clients' dental care. The ability to prescribe will allow you to continue this care with greater efficiency than before.
Using drug therapy, or more specifically issuing prescriptions, requires an understanding of the processes that contribute to drug use (such as pharmacology and human physiology) as well as acquisition of the essential competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and judgments) that are required for safe and effective prescribing. This course is designed to help you, the dental hygienist, ensure that you have acquired the necessary skill sets prior to receiving your prescriber's ID number.
This program is a Six Month fully online with the eClass platform as well as seven mandatory live zoom sessions (1 monthly Thursday session).
2024 Course Dates:
ZOOM LIVE SESSIONS
- Thursday, January 11 2024 6:30 PM MST (Welcome Session)
- Thursday, February 8, 2024 6:30 PM MST (submit questions by February 6)
- Thursday, March 7, 2024 6:30 PM MST(submit questions by Mar 6)
- Thursday, April 4, 2024 6:30 PM MST(submit questions by April 3)
- Thursday, May 2, 2024 6:30 PM MST(submit questions by May 2)
- Thursday, June 6, 2024 6:30 PM MST (submit questions by May 29 )
- Thursday, July 4 2024 6:30 PM MST (submit questions by July 3)
Note: Sessions will be recorded and made available online.
EXAM DATES:
- Wednesday, July 10, 2024
- Wednesday, July 17, 2024
- Wednesday, July 24, 2024
- Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Lexicomp Online
Participants are required to have Lexicomp Online for Dentistry: Basic Package access for the course. A hardcopy of the Lexicomp Drug resource is not required.
MODULES
Module 1 Professional Accountability, Collaboration, and Communication
Describes the meaning of professional accountability and the mechanisms for effective collaboration and communication with other health care professionals and with clients, including clients with drug-seeking and drug-abuse behaviour. The College-specific Standards of Practice (ACDH) are also referenced.
Module 2 Decision Making Related to Medication Use
Details the Dental Hygiene Process of Care and documentation requirements. Eight fundamental questions, relevant to decision making and medication use, are incorporated into this Process of Care to guide you as you create a care plan for clients.
Module 3 Principles of Pharmacology
Explains the routes of drug administration, drug pharmacokinetics, drug pharmacodynamics, and adverse drug reactions. Also discussed are therapeutic effect and index, and special prescribing considerations for pregnant and breastfeeding women, children, and older adults.
Module 4 Drugs Used in Dental Hygiene
Describes the side effects associated with medication use, including both common systemic and common oral side effects. Lists many of the drugs used to help treat oral conditions and specifically highlights problems or risks with the drug, medications that cause the condition, signs, and treatment. Useful information that will enable the dental hygienist to make appropriate and safe decisions regarding medication use is incorporated. The major focus of this module is the drugs that dental hygienist prescribers will be authorized to prescribe.
Module 5 Risk Management, Drug Errors, and Medical Emergencies
Describes how to assess risk for the client, for the dental hygienist, and within the practice environment. Risk management strategies are introduced to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes and include how to manage drug errors. The pharmacotherapeutics and pharmacokinetics of five drugs used to manage medical emergencies are examined.
Module 6 Issuing a Prescription
Covers the principles of prescribing, the requirements for providing accurate and legal prescriptions, and the methods for preventing and reducing medication errors. Sample prescriptions are shown.
Module 7 Storage, Disposal, and Labelling
Describes the storage and disposal requirements for prescription and non-prescription drugs, and outlines the lab
Email dentce@ualberta.ca for more information.
Please note tuition may be subject to an increase for future course offerings.