The iPLEDGE Program: Pharmacy Overview
Course Overview
This course provides pharmacists with an overview of isotretinoin and the pharmacy guidelines of the iPLEDGE Program. After reviewing the required iPLEDGE™ Program materials and completing this course, pharmacy staff should be able to:
- Explain the use and effects of isotretinoin
- Access and perform proper dispensing of isotretinoin using the iPLEDGE Program system
- Describe the responsibilities of the Responsible Site Pharmacist
- Explain the criteria all patients must meet to receive isotretinoin
- Describe pharmacy non-compliant activities and their corresponding corrective actions as defined in the iPLEDGE Non-Compliance Action Policy
2018 Update: The course content was revised to include and correspond with updated iPLEDGE materials:
- iPLEDGE Non-Compliance Action Policy (Version 8_May 2017)
Primary Target Audience: Pharmacists who dispense isotretinoin
Estimate Seat Time: 30 minutes
For additional information on the iPLEDGE Program, please visit www.ipledgeprogram.comor call
Safety Notice
Isotretinoin must not be used by female patients who are or may become pregnant. There is an extremely high risk that severe birth defects will result if pregnancy occurs while taking isotretinoin in any amount, even for a short period of time. Potentially any fetus exposed during pregnancy can be affected. There are no accurate means of determining whether an exposed fetus has been affected. Because of this toxicity, isotretinoin can only be marketed under a special restricted distribution program. This program is called iPLEDGE™. Under this program, prescribers must be registered and activated with the iPLEDGE program and can prescribe isotretinoin only to registered patients who meet all the requirements of iPLEDGE. Isotretinoin can be dispensed only by a pharmacy registered and activated with iPLEDGE. Registered and activated pharmacies can only receive isotretinoin from wholesalers registered with iPLEDGE.
Patients on isotretinoin have been known to become depressed or to develop other serious mental health problems. Some people have had thoughts of hurting themselves or putting an end to their own lives. Some people tried to end their own lives and some have ended their own lives. There have been reports that people on isotretinoin were aggressive or violent. No one knows if isotretinoin caused these problems or behaviors or if they would have happened even if the person did not take isotretinoin.
Isotretinoin use has been associated with pseudotumor cerebri, a condition caused by increased pressure on the brain. This condition may occur more often in patients also taking tetracycline. Patients should be aware of other serious side effects, including problems with the skin, pancreas, liver, stomach, bones, muscles, hearing, vision, lipids, allergic reactions, blood sugar, or red and white blood cells. The most common, less serious adverse events include dry skin, chapped lips, dry eyes, and dry nose that may lead to nosebleeds. Patients should be advised about these adverse events and routinely monitored by a doctor during treatment with isotretinoin.
Please refer to the isotretinoin package inserts for full prescribing and dispensing instructions.
System Requirements
- This course may viewed in Flash or HTML5:
- Flash: Compatible with Flash Player 10.3 or higher and one of the following browsers: Windows: Internet Explorer 8 and later, Microsoft Edge (latest version), Google Chrome (latest version), Firefox (latest version). Mac: Safari 7 and later, Google Chrome (latest version).
- HTML5: Windows: Google Chrome (latest version). Mac: Safari 7 and later, Google Chrome (latest version). Mobile: Safari in Apple iOS 7 and later, Google Chrome (latest version) in Android OS 4.1 and later.
- Adobe Reader 7 or higher to view PDF documents