MER Primary Care Conferences Internal Medicine for Primary Care Addiction Cardio Psych Jul 17-19, 2026

The “Internal Medicine for Primary Care: Addiction/Cardiology/Psychiatry” conference is a continuing medical education event hosted by Medical Education Resources (MER), a non-profit organization. The conference will take place from July 17-19, 2026, at The Hotel Alyeska in Anchorage, AK.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

Describe current diagnostic approaches and the role of drug therapy to the patient with acute chest pain.

Implement treatment strategies reflective of recent guidelines and current evidence based medicine for heart failure.

Describe current diagnostic and treatment approaches to arrhythmias and atrial fibrilation.

Explain current concepts in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

Compare the benefits and side effect profiles of pharmacologic treatment options for ADHD.

Discuss mood stabilizing psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments of bipolar disorder as well as frequent co-morbid psychiatric disorders.

Assess patients at risk for suicide and violence and intervene to make timely referrals to combat hopelessness.

Recommend appropriate pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment for depression.

Describe strategies for identifying and treating substance use disorders.

Review the effects of addictive drugs including hallucinogens, stimulants, inhalants, sedatives, tobacco and alcohol.

Identify therapies, including nonpharmacological pain treatment strategies, that can reduce the dose of opioids to control pain.

Develop a treatment plan for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Target Audience

This program is targeted to office-based primary care providers and other health professionals with updates in primary care medicine. Best for Primary Care Physicians, Cardiologists, Psychiatrists, and Addiction Medicine Specialists.

Topics

Acute Coronary Syndromes: The Patient with Acute Chest Pain: Diagnosis and initial evaluation in the primary care setting, urgent care clinic and emergency department; Initial workup, treatment, and follow-up; Diagnosing and treating ST segment elevation and non-ST segment elevation MIs; The role of drug therapy–primary vs adjunctive to PCI; Follow up after acute coronary syndromome.

Heart Failure: Etiologies and stages of heart failure; ACC/AHA Heart Failure Guidelines; Heart failure with reduced EF (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved EF (HFpEF); Determining patients for referral using biomarkers, eg NT Pro BNP; Treatment options: ACE inhibitors, ARBs, ARNI, beta blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, SGLT2i; The role of devices (ICD and/or CRT) in treatment and antiplatelet drugs; Issues related to the hospitalized patient with acute decompensated heart failure and readmissions.

Arrhythmias: Types and symptoms of arrhythmias; Approach to the patient: when to treat, when to refer, when to admit; Evaluation of the patient with palpitations; Atrial fibrilation: the use of anticoagulants indications, CVA risk scores, warfarin vs newer oral anticoagulants, controlling heart rate vs rhythm; Ventricular and other arrhythmias: when are they serious.

The Complexity of Adult ADHD: ADHD in adults with an emphasis on symptom identification; Co-occurring conditions; Psychiatric and medical differential diagnosis; evidence-based and FDA approved pharmacological treatments.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: Bipolar spectrum disorders in adults as compared to youth; Comprehensive history-taking; Differential diagnosis; Co-occurring psychiatric and medical conditions; Phase specific treatment considerations and interventions.

Suicide and Violence: Risk assessment for suicide and violence; the relationship between psychotropic medications and suicide or violent behavior; management of the suicidal and violent patient.

Depressive Disorders: History taking, diagnosis and treatment of depression across the lifespan; pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options; rational polypharmacy.

Hypertension: The 2025 AHA/ACC Hypertension Guidelines; The 2024 ESC Guidelines for hypertension; Approaches to treatment thresholds and goals; Choices for initial and combination therapy; Resistant hypertension; Treating special populations: diabetics, the elderly, patients with renal failure; Risk factors by new pooled equations.

Substance Use Disorders: Diagnosis and Screening for Primary Care Practitioners: Essential information and skills necessary for identifying substance use and addiction in the primary care setting; Epidemiology, assessment and screening tools; Practical steps for intervention.

Drugs: Review of Addictive Drugs and Their Effects: This module will review hallucinogens, stimulants, inhalants, sedatives, tobacco and alcohol.

The Opioid Crisis and Primary Care Providers: Update on the opioid crisis; Risk for opioid misuse and addiction; FDA approved medication for treating overdose; FDA approved medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for managing opioid addiction.

Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder in Primary Care: The scope of alcohol related problems and the societal burden of Alcohol Use Disorder; Overview of FDA-approved and more common off-label pharmacotherapies for Alcohol Use Disorder.