Target Audience
This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of pulmonologists who treat asthma patients, as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work in pulmonary care settings across the United States.



Statement of Need
Current guidelines from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) acknowledge allergy and IgE-mediated processes as major contributors to persistent asthma. These guidelines?the Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR-3)?outline specific recommendations for evaluating the potential role of allergy and IgE in patients with asthma. Nevertheless, many office-based pulmonologists underestimate the clinical relevance of these processes to asthma and do not routinely test or screen their asthma patients for allergies. This educational activity is designed to increase awareness among pulmonologists and their ancillary healthcare staff of the role of IgE-driven processes in asthma and instruct on ways to integrate pertinent EPR-3 guidelines into clinical practice, including implementing allergy testing and allergen avoidance measures for all patients with persistent asthma.



Educational Objectives
After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Describe the role of IgE and allergy in asthma, as well as their association with negative outcomes
• Explain trigger/allergen avoidance as essential components of asthma action plans
• Discuss strategies for testing patients with persistent asthma for aeroallergens in accordance with NAEPP guidelines

Faculty
Thomas B. Casale, MD
Vice President, Respiratory & Allergic Disease Foundation
President, American Academy of Allergy,
Asthma & Immunology
Professor and Associate Chair
Department of Medicine
Chief, Allergy/Immunology
Creighton University School of Medicine
Omaha, Nebraska

Stephen C. Lazarus, MD
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, California


Stephen P. Peters, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
Associate Director
Center for Human Genomics
Director of Research
Section on Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunologic Diseases
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Gary S. Rachelefsky, MD
President, Respiratory & Allergic Disease Foundation
Director, Executive Center for Asthma, Allergy, and Respiratory Diseases
Professor, Allergy and Immunology
Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Los Angeles, California


Physician Continuing Medical Education
Accreditation Statement
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), the Respiratory & Allergic Disease Foundation, and Educational Concepts in Medicine. PIM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.


Nursing Continuing Education
Credit Designation
This educational activity for 0.6 contact hours is provided by Postgraduate Institute for Medicine.

Accreditation Statement
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.


Method of Participation
During the period August 31, 2009 through August 31, 2010, participants must:

• Read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures
• Study the educational activity
• Complete the posttest by recording the best answer to each question
• Complete the evaluation form

A statement of credit will be issued upon receipt of a completed activity evaluation form and a completed posttest with a score of 70% or better.


Fee
There is no fee to participate in or to receive credit for this educational activity.


Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) assesses conflict of interest with its instructors, planners, managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of CME activities. All relevant conflicts of interest that are identified are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies utilized in this activity, and patient care recommendations. PIM is committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Name of Faculty or Presenter	Reported Financial Relationship
Thomas B. Casale, MD	Consulting: BaroFold, Inc., Dynavax Technologies Corporation, KaloBios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Contracted Research: Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Allergy Therapeutics, Allied Health International, Amgen Inc., Dynavax Technologies Corporation, Genentech, Inc., Greer Laboratories, Inc., MedImmune, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., National Institutes of Health, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Schering-Plough Corporation, ZLB
Stephen C. Lazarus, MD	Has no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report.
Stephen P. Peters, MD, PhD	Consulting: Adelphi, Aerocrine, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company, Ception Therapeutics, Dey, L.P., Dyson, Genentech, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Sepracor Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Contracted Research: Abaris Healthcare, Altana Inc., Amgen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Centocor, Inc., Ception Therapeutics, Genentech, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc., Schering-Plough Corporation, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Fees for Non-CME Services Received Directly From a Commercial Interest or Their Agents: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Genentech, Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
Gary S. Rachelefsky, MD	Consulting: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Merck & Co., Inc., Schering-Plough Corporation, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Fees for Non-CME Services Received Directly From a Commercial Interest or Their Agents: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Sepracor Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CME activity:

Name of Planner or Manager	Reported Financial Relationship
PIM Clinical Reviewers: Trace Hutchison, PharmD; Jan Hixon, RN, BSN, MA; Linda Graham, RN, BSN, BA; Jan Schultz, RN, MSN, CCMEP; and Julia Kirkwood, RN, BSN	Have no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report.
ECM: Bart Zoni, Executive Director; Tara Larkin, Foundation Manager; Kathleen Krafton, Editorial Services	Have no real or apparent conflicts of interest to report.

Media
Internet


Disclosure of Unlabeled Use
This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA. Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM), Respiratory & Allergic Disease Foundation (RAD), Educational Concepts in Medicine, and Genentech-Novartis do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications.

The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of PIM, RAD, Educational Concepts in Medicine, and Genentech-Novartis. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.


Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patients? conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer's product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities.


Commercial Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Genentech-Novartis.