Communication is Key: Ensuring Pregnancy Prevention/Safe Planning in Patients of Reproductive Potential

This activity is part of a series

Faculty

Steven Gabardi, PharmD, BCPS, FAST, FCCP
Abdominal Organ Transplant Clinical Specialist, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Steven Gabardi, PharmD, BCPS, FAST, FCCP

Steven Gabardi, PharmD, BCPS, FAST, FCCP, is a clinical specialist in organ transplant with the Department of Transplant Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA. He is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, where he became the first PharmD to receive an academic appointment. Dr. Gabardi earned his PharmD at Butler University?s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Indianapolis, IN in 1999 and subsequently completed his residency in pharmacy practice at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA in 2000. After completing his residency, he was hired as a co-funded faculty member at Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences. His clinical practice site was at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Division of Renal Transplant working in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Board-certified as a Pharmacotherapy Specialist and a Fellow of both the American Society of Transplantation and American College of Clinical Pharmacy, Dr. Gabardi has published in a multitude of textbooks and peer-reviewed journals. He has been invited to speak at local, national, and international conferences on many different transplant-related topics. Dr. Gabardi became the first transplant pharmacist to be named an Associate Editor for both the American Journal of Transplantation and Transplantation. He is also an editorial board member for several other peer-reviewed journals.

Michael Wu, MD, RhMSUS
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Michael Wu, MD, RhMSUS

Michael Wu, MD, RhMSUS, is a rheumatologist and Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He has a particular interest in musculoskeletal ultrasound and is an educator in both the Rheumatology Fellowship and Internal Medicine Residency at Baylor. Dr. Wu completed his Internal Medicine training at Northwestern University in Chicago and his Rheumatology training at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He is happy to be back in his home state of Texas treating the wide range of rheumatologic diseases seen in his field.

Statement of Need

Approximately 45% of pregnancies within utero mycophenolate exposure result in first trimester pregnancy loss and 20% of live births have congenital anomalies.1 Given the well-known embryofetal toxicity associated with mycophenolate treatment and pregnancy, it is imperative that physicians and other health care providers (HCPs) are able to provide accurate and clear counseling on appropriate pregnancy preventive measures for their patients of reproductive potential, as well as potential alternative immunosuppressant regimens. Adequate pregnancy prevention measures for mycophenolate-treated patients include tubal sterilization, intrauterine devices (IUDs), hormonal contraceptives plus one barrier method, or two barrier methods. HCPs also must be comfortable counseling patients on the importance of emergency contraception if appropriate contraceptive measures were either not utilized or experienced failure.

In part two of this REMS CME Outfitters Snack series, host/moderator Dr. Steven Gabardi is joined by Dr. Michael Wu to share strategies for counseling patients of reproductive potential about the risks of pregnancy while taking mycophenolate. Recommendations on necessary contraceptive measures and potential immunosuppressant alternatives to mycophenolate are also discussed.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this CME/CE activity, participants should be able to counsel patients of reproductive potential on pregnancy prevention and/or planning during mycophenolate treatment, including contraception and alternative immunosuppressant therapies.

Financial Support

This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Mycophenolate REMS Group. This activity is intended to be fully compliant with the Mycophenolate REMS education requirements issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Target Audience

Primary care physicians, physician associates (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses, pharmacists, and physicians specializing in transplant medicine, OB/GYN, surgery, rheumatology, immunology and cardiology

Credit Information

Jointly Accredited Provider

In support of improving patient care, CME Outfitters, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Interprofessional (IPCE) 0.5

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 0.5 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) Credit for learning and change.

Physicians (ACCME) 0.5

CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (ANCC) 0.5

This activity is designated for 0.5 contact hours.

Note for California Nurses

This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. CME Outfitters, LLC’s provider number is CEP15510.

Pharmacists (ACPE) 0.5

This application-based activity is approved for 0.5 contact hours (0.05 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy credit.
Activity UAN: JA0007185-0000-22-156-H01-P

Physician Assistants (AAPA): 0.5

CME Outfitters, LLC, has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 0.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until expiration date listed above. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Physicians (AAFP): 0.5

The AAFP has reviewed the activity and deemed it acceptable for up to 0.50 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credits. Term of Approval expires with the expiration date of the credit availability. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. AAFP Prescribed credit is accepted by the American Medical Association as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ toward the AMA Physician's Recognition Award. When applying for the AMA PRA, Prescribed credit earned must be reported as Prescribed, not as Category 1.

ABIM MOC 0.5

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 0.5 medical knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

MIPS Improvement Activity

Completion of this accredited CME activity meets the expectations of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program (IA_PSPA_28) for the Merit-based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS). Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website.

Royal College MOC

Through an agreement between the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, medical practitioners participating in the Royal College MOC Program may record completion of accredited activities registered under the ACCME’s “CME in Support of MOC” program in Section 3 of the Royal College’s MOC Program.

Disclosure Declaration

It is the policy of CME Outfitters, LLC, to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, and scientific rigor and integrity in all of their CE activities. Faculty must disclose to the participants any relationships with commercial companies whose products or devices may be mentioned in faculty presentations, or with the commercial supporter of this CE activity. CME Outfitters, LLC, has evaluated, identified, and mitigated any potential conflicts of interest through a rigorous content validation procedure, use of evidence-based data/research, and a multidisciplinary peer review process.


Dr. Gibardi reports no financial relationships to disclose.


Dr. Wu reports the following financial relationships: Consultant: Musculo, Inc. (Rheumatology Advisor); Stock Shareholder (direct purchased): AbbVie Inc. (ABBV); Other Financial or Material Support: Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM); Potomac Center for Medical Education; and Rockpointe Corporation


The following peer reviewer and CME Outfitters staff have no financial relationships:

  • Thomas Heinrich, MD (peer reviewer)
  • Morgan Stockberger, MD (planning committee)
  • Warren Beckman (planning committee)
  • Susan H. Yarbrough, CHCP (planning committee)
  • Sandra Caballero, PharmD (planning committee)
  • Sharon Tordoff (planning committee)

Faculty of this CE activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently labeled for use by the FDA. The faculty have been informed of their responsibility to disclose to the audience if they will be discussing off-label or investigational uses (any uses not approved by the FDA) of products or devices.

Obtaining Credits

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Questions about this activity?

Call us at (877) CME-PROS or (877) 263-7767.

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Communication is Key: Ensuring Pregnancy Prevention/Safe Planning in Patients of Reproductive Potential
Event Date: 10/21/2022 at 4:00 am EST