Use of a Mail‐Out Continuing Education Article to Teach Health Professionals about Drug‐Induced Disease

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/Georgetown University Medical Center conference was the basis for “Clinical Therapeutics and the Recognition of Drug‐Induced Disease,” the first med W atch continuing education (CE) mail‐out article. Developed as a major component of FDA med W atch post‐marketing surveillance outreach, the article used a clinical therapeutic approach to discuss topics including adverse drug events (ADEs) pharmacology and ADE reporting. Distributed nationwide through the med W atch Partners, health professionals applied for CE credit by completing a self‐assessment examination. With the overall response rate slightly more than 2%, 15,260 health professionals (55% physicians and 37% pharmacists) received CE credit. Evaluation of the initial approximate two‐thirds ( N = 10,021) of successfully completed exams found 99% agreement that stated learning objectives were met, and the article relevant to their clinical practice; spontaneous comments/letters were also very positive. The highest percentage responding specialists were internists (28%) and psychiatrists (17%), with notable differences found among specialties for response rate versus relative article distribution (such as relatively low response rates among surgeons and radiology/radiation physics specialists). The number of health professionals receiving CE credit, coupled with examination performance and overall response, indicates that “Clinical Therapeutics and the Recognition of Drug‐Induced Disease” was well received and fulfilled learning objectives. The results provide encouragement for this continuing educational approach .