Evaluate Women for Hormone Replacement Therapy

The women’s hormone therapy section addresses hormonal changes related to perimenopause, menopause, surgical menopause, and other causes of hormone deficiency.

Dr. Petteruti reviews the roles of estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and other markers used during evaluation and monitoring.

Participants will learn to assess common concerns such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption, vaginal and urinary symptoms, sexual changes, mood and cognitive symptoms, and bone density loss. The program also clarifies which symptoms warrant evaluation for causes other than menopause.

Treatment instruction covers estrogen and progesterone selection, administration routes, dosing principles, endometrial protection, laboratory monitoring, and treatment adjustment. The course compares oral, transdermal, vaginal, injectable, and pellet options, and explains how patient history guides formulation selection.

Understand the Benefits, Risks, and Limitations of Menopausal Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy decisions should rely on individualized evaluation, not generalized claims about safety or risk.

The course reviews potential benefits such as relief of vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms and prevention of bone loss in suitable patients. It also addresses concerns including abnormal bleeding, breast health, cardiovascular risk, blood clots, liver function, migraine history, and other factors affecting treatment selection.

Dr. Petteruti explains how hormone type, dosage, administration route, timing, duration, and patient characteristics influence risk. Participants will learn to address these factors through shared decision-making and thorough documentation.

Evaluate and Treat Testosterone Deficiency in Men

Testosterone replacement therapy requires both clinical symptoms and appropriate diagnostic evaluation. Symptoms such as fatigue, reduced libido, erectile concerns, muscle loss, or mood changes alone do not confirm testosterone deficiency.

This section addresses total and free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, prostate assessment, blood counts, and metabolic markers. Participants will learn how collection timing and individual physiology affect interpretation.

Dr. Petteruti reviews injectable, transdermal, oral, and pellet-based testosterone therapies. You will compare dosing strategies, treatment intervals, pharmacokinetics, patient preferences, adherence, and cost.

The program also addresses fertility suppression, testicular atrophy, erythrocytosis, acne, fluid retention, sleep apnea concerns, breast symptoms, cardiovascular considerations, prostate monitoring, and the management of elevated estradiol or hematocrit.

Learn Bioidentical Hormone Pellet Therapy

Hormone pellet therapy delivers sustained hormone levels through small subcutaneous implants. This approach differs in dosing and monitoring compared to creams, patches, pills, or injections.

With over 20 years of experience in hormone pellet therapy, Dr. Petteruti explains patient selection, dosing, treatment intervals, laboratory timing, symptom tracking, and factors influencing pellet response.

Participants will learn the steps for preparing for a pellet procedure, maintaining sterile technique, selecting and preparing the insertion site, placing pellets, closing and dressing the site, and providing aftercare instructions.

The program reviews complications including bleeding, bruising, infection, tenderness, delayed healing, pellet extrusion, scarring, prolonged hormone exposure, and inconsistent symptom response. Since pellets cannot be easily removed or quickly adjusted after placement, careful selection and dosing are essential for safe treatment.

Hands-on competency and any required procedural supervision must be completed separately according to professional scope, state requirements, and facility policy.

Compare Hormone Delivery Methods

No single delivery method suits every patient. This certification compares the advantages and limitations of pellets, injections, creams, gels, patches, oral preparations, vaginal therapy, and other options.

Participants will examine how absorption, metabolism, adherence, convenience, reversibility, dosing flexibility, and patient preference influence the selection of hormone formulations.

The course explains the differences between FDA-approved hormone products and compounded preparations. Participants will learn when to consider compounded therapy, which limitations to discuss with patients, and what documentation supports informed decision-making.

Assess Thyroid Function

Thyroid symptoms often overlap with those attributed to sex hormone changes. Fatigue, weight changes, mood and cognitive concerns, temperature intolerance, hair changes, and sleep disruption require comprehensive evaluation.

The thyroid section reviews TSH, free T4, free T3, thyroid antibodies, and other relevant tests. Dr. Petteruti explains how illness, medications, calorie restriction, weight loss, and test timing impact results.

Participants will learn to interpret thyroid findings within the full clinical context and to avoid treating isolated laboratory results without adequate evaluation.

The course also reviews treatment options, monitoring, adverse effects, medication interactions, and differences among common thyroid preparations.

Monitor Hormone Therapy Safely

Long-term hormone management requires ongoing follow-up. This certification reviews monitoring schedules, symptom reassessment, laboratory timing, medication adherence, adverse effect screening, and preventive care.

Participants will learn to monitor blood counts, hormone levels, metabolic markers, prostate findings, breast health, abnormal uterine bleeding, and other clinical concerns based on the patient’s treatment plan.

The course emphasizes monitoring trends and clinical context rather than focusing on a single target value.

Documentation and Compliance

Hormone prescribing, dispensing, and pellet implantation involve federal and state requirements. Rules differ based on the hormone, formulation, professional license, prescribing authority, and location of the practice.

The certification provides documentation templates, informed consent resources, treatment protocols, and follow-up tools. Dr. Petteruti reviews the clinical information to document during evaluation, treatment selection, procedures, medication changes, and ongoing monitoring.

These resources offer a foundational framework. Each practice is responsible for reviewing current state regulations, controlled substance requirements, dispensing rules, compounding requirements, and facility policies.