The upcoming OTC Hearing Aid and Hearing Self-Care Symposium at the University of Pittsburgh on June 7 will bring together experts from various fields, including pharmacy, audiology, and public health. The symposium aims to discuss how over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids can enhance patient access to hearing health care in the United States. With around 30 million adults in the U.S. experiencing some level of hearing loss, only a small percentage of them seek hearing aids despite their potential benefits.
Pharmacists and audiologists will collaborate during the symposium to promote the safe and effective use of hearing health care solutions. They will review how their respective professions can work together and discuss various topics such as public health, regulations, interprofessional practice, and implementation strategies for OTC hearing aids. The keynote speaker, Kelly King, an audiologist and program officer at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, will share insights from the National Institutes of Health.
The University of Pittsburgh has been an early proponent of OTC hearing aid education. They offer an online interprofessional course developed by experts in pharmacy and audiology like Lucas Berenbrok and Elaine Mormer. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) holds an exclusive license agreement to offer the Pharmacy-Based OTC Hearing Aids training program developed by the University of Pittsburgh.
Interested individuals can now register for the symposium, and both pharmacist and audiologist continuing education (CE) credits will be available. For more information on how to register or receive CE credits, reach out to otchearingaids[at]pitt.edu.
In conclusion, the upcoming symposium aims to discuss how over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids can enhance patient access to hearing health care in the United States by bringing together experts from various fields such as pharmacy, audiology, and public health. Interested individuals can now register for this valuable event while earning both pharmacist and audiologist continuing education credits through this unique collaboration between professionals in these fields.
