Advanced Pharmacology Update for Nurses

About this course

Built for APRNs and RNs who want a fast, clinically grounded pharmacology update. You will review drug classes that most often appear in adverse-event data, work through dosing and monitoring decisions, and practice patient counseling that improves adherence. Written in plain clinical language with case vignettes you can finish between shifts.

Learning objectives

• Identify high-alert medication classes and the monitoring each requires.
• Apply renal and hepatic dosing adjustments to common prescriptions.
• Recognize clinically significant drug–drug and drug–food interactions.
• Describe safe titration and deprescribing strategies for older adults.
• Document pharmacology counseling that supports adherence.

Course outline

12 sections · finish in any order across devices

1. 1

   Pharmacology foundations refresher

   Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics you actually use at the bedside.

   10 min

2. 2

   High-alert medication classes

   Anticoagulants, insulins, opioids and concentrated electrolytes.

   17 min

3. 3

   Cardiovascular agents update

   Heart failure and hypertension regimens and monitoring parameters.

   24 min

4. 4

   Diabetes pharmacotherapy

   GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors and insulin titration.

   16 min

5. 5

   Anticoagulation and reversal

   DOAC selection, bridging and reversal agent decision points.

   23 min

6. 6

   Antimicrobial stewardship

   Spectrum, duration and de-escalation principles.

   15 min

7. 7

   Pain and controlled substances

   Multimodal analgesia and controlled-substance safeguards.

   22 min

8. 8

   Psychotropic medications

   Antidepressants, antipsychotics and metabolic monitoring.

   14 min

9. 9

   Renal and hepatic dose adjustment

   Practical calculations and monitoring cadence.

   21 min

10. 10

    Polypharmacy in older adults

    Beers-criteria thinking and deprescribing conversations.

    13 min

11. 11

    Interactions and error prevention

    Interaction screening workflows and look-alike/sound-alike traps.

    20 min

12. 12

    Case review and documentation

    Three case vignettes with charting and counseling examples.

    12 min

This course satisfies

• Florida APRN pharmacology hours
• California NP furnishing pharmacology hours
• Texas APRN pharmacotherapeutics hours
• Arizona APRN pharmacology hours

Requirement summaries come from our state requirement records. Always confirm details with your board before you renew.

References and resources

• Institute for Safe Medication Practices — High-Alert Medication List (placeholder citation)
• American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria (placeholder citation)
• CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids (placeholder citation)

Update history

• v3.2 · Jun 18, 2026 · Updated diabetes and anticoagulation modules.
• v3.1 · Sep 4, 2025 · Added deprescribing case vignette.
• v3.0 · Feb 11, 2025 · Full clinical rewrite and new post-test bank.