Monday, October 19, 2026 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MDT at Salt Palace Convention Center - Ballroom H
Available for 1.50 hours of CPE creditActivity Number: 0217-0000-26-159-L01-PActivity Type: A Knowledge-Based ActivityThis session will explore how principles of health equity shape real-time clinical decision-making through three practical, patient-centered cases and a across practice settings. Attendees will examine (1) critical care management for a patient who is a Jehovah’s Witness and declines blood products, including considerations for hemoglobin based oxygen carriers (HBOCs); (2) ambulatory care and internal medicine strategies for diabetes management in patients who fast during Ramadan, with attention to SGLT2 inhibitor–associated euglycemic (diabetic ketoacidosis) DKA risk; and (3) oncology or transplant case complexities involving drug–drug interactions in patients using alternative medicine with a focus on herbal medications and cannabis. The session will culminate in a 15-minute panel with the three speakers for discussion. By highlighting cultural, religious, and treatment-access factors that influence pharmacotherapy, this session aims to equip clinicians who practice in both inpatient and outpatient settings with equitable, patient-aligned approaches applicable to diverse and evolving care environments.
Learning Objectives1. Describe the ethical, cultural, and clinical considerations involved in managing critical care scenarios for patients who are Jehovah’s Witnesses and decline blood products.
2. Discuss pharmacologic and non‑pharmacologic methods to improve outcomes in the absence of transfusion, including hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs).
3. Discuss guidelines for the management of diabetes mellitus during Ramadan.
4. Recognize evidence-based recommendations for culturally sensitive care to patients who fast during Ramadan.
5. Describe drug-drug interaction considerations of nutritional supplements and herbal medications in patients who are the recipients of a solid organ transplant.
6. Discuss the use of cannabis in patients who are the recipients of a solid organ transplant impact on clinical outcomes.
7. Identify evidence‑based management plans for patients with clinically significant drug–drug interactions between immunosuppressants and cannabis components.
Critical Care Management of Jehovah’s Witnesses Who Decline Blood Products3:30 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. | | Speaker: | Melissa Santibanez, Pharm.D., FCCM, BCCCP | | Drug Information Specialist, InpharmD | | View Biography |
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Management Strategies in Patients with Diabetes Who Fast During Ramadan3:55 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. | | Speaker: | Lalita Prasad-Reddy, Pharm.D., MS, FCCP, BCACP, CDCES | | Assistant Dean of Preclerkship Education, Vice-Chair of Foundational Sciences @ Humanities
Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Outpatient Internal Medicine
Rush University Internists, Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL | | View Biography |
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Alternative Medicine Use in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Drug-Drug Interactions with Herbal Medications and Cannabis4:20 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. | | Speaker: | Nicole A. Pilch, Pharm.D., FAST, BCPS, BCTXP, CPHQ | | Solid Organ Transplant Clinical Specialist, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina |
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Facilitated Panel Q&A with Speakers4:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |