The 2015 Madison Fall Institute hosted by the Division of Pharmacy Professional Development (DPPD) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy was its first interprofessional CE program. The program was designed by an interprofessional planning committee for an interprofessional audience of pharmacists, nurses, physicians and other health care professionals. Held in November 2015, the Madison Fall Institute focused on the theme of “Opioids in the Management of Non-Malignant Chronic Pain” and attracted an audience of 160, comprised of approximately 2/3 pharmacists, and the other 1/3 equally split between nurses and physicians. Marking the 66th annual Institute, with all prior Institutes planned only for and attended by a pharmacist audience, the interprofessional target audience approach was a significant change in strategy.

Results showed this was a highly successful first venture into the interprofessional arena and signals the direction that DPPD will be adopting for many of its future CE programs. Pharmacy, nursing and medical students are learning together in the professional curriculum on the UW-Madison campus, so it is a logical step that interprofessional learning would occur at the continuing education level as well.

A sampling of comments received from attendees at the 2015 Madison Fall Institute included:

• “I liked the multi-profession aspect. Would like to see more programs like that.”
• “If future events are available to multiple practitioners as this was, I will be able to come with other family members. That’s good!!”
• “I have three new clinical program ideas related to opioids that I will implement.”
• “I will use some of the information for a nurse education program I help to deliver.”
• “I will use this information during interdisciplinary rounds when patients who abuse opioids are admitted.”
• “I will utilize info presented when talking with other providers.”
• “This was one of the best conferences offered by the division that I have attended. Keep up the good work.”

While we will be adopting the interprofessional strategy for planning and marketing of many of our programs, you can be assured that our primary focus will remain on practicing pharmacists and the high quality programs you have become accustomed to which focus on pharmacotherapy for selected disease states – just as we have done for the past 6+ decades!

Additional CE programs conducted by DPPD in 2016 that will encompass an interprofessional approach include:

March 8-9: Madison Clinical Conference: Managing Chronic Diseases and Complex Conditions in the Aging Adult

April 22: Central Wisconsin Conference: Mental Health

Information about these and other programs is available on our website.

We invite you to join us for one of these upcoming programs and be part of the new journey!