Managing Otitis Media: Strategies for Pharmacy Teams

Course overview

Otitis media, middle ear inflammation, presents unique challenges in clinical management, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of its pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and evidence-based treatment approaches. Otitis media is not a single condition but rather a spectrum of diseases, including acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME), and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). As members of interprofessional care teams, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must understand the clinical presentation and evaluation of patients with otitis media and recommended treatment strategies. This will assist pharmacists in properly evaluating and referring patients with ear pain to their primary care provider. Recommended treatment strategies will be discussed, including mechanisms of action, dosing, and side effects of antibiotic therapies.