Nutrition Support Certificate Program Launched for Pharmacists and Other Health Care Providers

A Nutrition Support Certificate for pharmacists has been launched by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN).

The new certificate is earned through a self-guided, online continuing education program that teaches the fundamental concepts related to nutrition support care for adult patients, according to ASHP.

Also designed for physicians and nurses, the Nutrition Support Certificate offers 19.25 hours of continuing education credit. The curriculum consists of 11 educational modules that review best practices for ordering, access, preparation, and administration of nutrition support and provide an overview of potential complications that could result from enteral or parenteral nutrition. In addition, the course covers malnutrition, nutritional requirements for adults receiving nutrition support, and monitoring and error reporting.

“Nutrition support is a key area for interdisciplinary collaboration in hospitals and health systems as pharmacists, physicians, and nurses partner to ensure that patients with complex medical and nutritional needs receive appropriate treatment.” said ASHP CEO Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, ScD (Hon.), FASHP, in a prepared statement. “The Nutrition Support Certificate fills a critical education gap and familiarizes health care professionals with the core competencies needed to provide fundamental services related to enteral and parenteral nutrition support.”

ASPEN is an interdisciplinary organization with more than 6500 members around the world, including dietitians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, physicians, scientists, students and other health professionals. The organization works to improve patient care by advancing the science and practice of nutrition support therapy and metabolism.

ASPEN President-elect Lingtak-Neander Chan, PharmD. BCNSP, FACN, FCCP, said the organization is committed to promoting stronger interdisciplinary collaboration for improving patient care and clinical outcomes, and pleased to be collaborating with ASHP on the new certificate program.

"Nutrition is an essential component of the comprehensive patient plan. In some patients, nutrition support is a life-saving intervention,” said Chan, a prepared statement. “ASPEN is committed to facilitating the training of nutrition support core competencies across all disciplines."

In addition to its partnership with ASHP, ASPEN offers a number of professional education programs, including webinars and live programming.

For ASHP, the new Nutrition Support Certificate is the 12^th program offered in the organiztion's Professional Certificate line.

Each of these 12 certificate programs are self-guided, online education modules for health care professionals that offers at least 15 hours of continuing education. Participants must complete all of the modules in a program, a comprehensive exam, and practice-based exercises to be eligible for an ASHP professional certificate.

To receive the Nutrition Support Certificate, participants must successfully complete all of the modules and receive a score of 80% or higher on a 100-question comprehensive examination.

Reference

ASHP, ASPEN Launch Professional Certificate for Nutrition Support [news release]. Bethesda, MD; May 29, 2019: ASHP. [email]. Accessed May 29, 2019.