A symposium on hearing self-care and the use of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids is set to take place at the University of Pittsburgh on June 7. This event brings together experts from pharmacy, audiology, and public health to discuss how OTC hearing aids can improve access to hearing healthcare in the US. With around 30 million adults experiencing some level of hearing loss, only a small percentage seek hearing aids despite their potential benefits. To address this issue, the FDA introduced a new category of OTC hearing aids for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss in the fall of 2022.
During the symposium, pharmacists and audiologists will collaborate on promoting safe and effective use of OTC hearing health care solutions. They will review how their respective professions can work together on 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, reach out to otchearingaids[at]pitt.edu.