News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

Event site selection has been increasingly challenging for all associations with post-pandemic costs skyrocketing along with state legislation considered, by many, to be discriminatory and harmful. Our Annual Meeting 2024 (April 7-10, Orlando) host state of Florida is certainly one of those in the news this week with NAACP and others issuing travel advisories. Why then is AAPP hosting an event in Florida?

Dr. Rebekah Torchon, a Defining the Future grant recipient, studied barriers in mental health care in the Haitian Population. Overall, most participants felt comfortable discussing mental health concerns, especially with providers sharing their language and cultural background, but many faced limited transportation access. She is concluding her research by recommending strategies to reduce this transportation barrier. Great work, Dr. Torchon! The application portal for 2025 Defining the Future applicants is open! Learn more and apply by Sept. 4, 2025.

"While working with the inpatient unit, I learned more about the transition of care to our outpatient Women's Mood Disorder clinic, the site for my ambulatory rotation during residency. My residency program director coordinated with the attending physician who oversaw the clinic, and I was immediately acknowledged as a member of the team. I was the first pharmacist to practice in this setting, which was a valuable experience in and of itself. I spent six months in the once-a-week clinic and grew to love my time there. To date, this was the most informative and rewarding patient care experience of my career..." Learn more about Caitlin Hughes' experience with perinatal psychiatry.

Whether you're improving transitions of care, managing special populations, or building a profitable clinic - this program has you covered! Register now and gain up to 9 CE credits by completing modules of interest. #LAI

AAPP submitted comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposed rule regarding Special Registrations for Telemedicine. AAPP emphasized concerns that the rule imposes unnecessary barriers to accessing mental health and substance use disorder treatments, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Key recommendations include removing the in-person visit requirement for controlled substance prescriptions, clarifying psychiatric pharmacists’ eligibility for Special Registration, and streamlining state registration and PDMP requirements. AAPP also urged the DEA to extend pandemic-era teleprescribing flexibilities permanently.

AAPP Foundation Impact Grant recipients, the VCU Collegiate Chapter, collaborated with dental and nursing students to compile 272 dental hygiene kits. The kits were distributed along with educational handouts to patients at local substance use disorder clinics and a retail pharmacy, and patients reported learning about possible adverse drug reactions with buprenorphine that they did not know much about previously. Great work, VCU Collegiate Chapter! Hear about the project by viewing the recorded presentation.

SAMHSA has released a Dear Colleague Letter offering guidance on benzodiazepine (BZD) use in older adults. The letter refers healthcare professionals to the ASAM guidelines which AAPP contributed to, highlights the public health importance of reducing long-term benzodiazepine use among older adults, and promotes patient-centered, evidence-informed strategies for evaluating ongoing BZD use.

AAPP joined 500 organizational and 2,355 individual signers sending a letter in support of the National Institutes of Health. The letter summarizes the deep concern that the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request cuts the NIH budget by eighteen billion dollars and consolidates or eliminates institutes and centers without congressional hearings or public input.

The AAPP Residents and New Practitioners Committee is pleased to provide a suggested reading list of the top references as a service and as a forum for member discussion. Consider these resources as a foundation for your reference library.

The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, provides comprehensive health care to around 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) across 37 states belonging to 574 federally recognized tribes. The federal government established a special relationship with these tribes in 1787 to provide health services and raise their overall health status to the highest level.

AAPP surveys show that at least 90% of successful BCPP candidates purchase the Review Book as their primary study tool. 100% of survey respondents indicate that the Review Book was their primary study resource and a key tool to their certification success! Get your book today and start studying!

Pharmacy careers change lives. Learn if a job as a pharmacist is right for you and how you can help people live better, healthier lives. #Pharmacy #PsychPharm

Improve your peer review skills! Discover the components to evaluate, the role of the peer reviewer, the skills necessary to critically evaluate a manuscript, and how to provide feedback to authors and journal editors.

AAPP and the AAPP Foundation are pleased to be offering a complimentary, 2-hour workshop: Cultivating Expertise: Enhancing Presentation Design and Speaker Development in Psychiatric Pharmacists. Earn ACPE credit and make yourself a standout voice in the field of psychiatric pharmacy!

The 2024 Summit covered topics from street medicine to the management of ADHD. Earn up to 10 hours of credit for just $140 (ACPE) or $160 (ACPE & BCPP - exam due 7/10) as an AAPP member!

AAPP Foundation Impact Grant recipients from the UNC Collegiate Chapter provided opioid overdose preparedness training to students, faculty, and staff at UNC! Participants demonstrated increased confidence in their knowledge. Congrats on a successful project! To hear about the project, watch the presentation recording on the Foundation website.

The 2/6/25 #JournalClub (1/2) presented "Clozapine clinical toolkit optimizes inpatient clozapine monitoring." The recording is available free to all AAPP members.

Upon Senate approval of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Issued an Executive Order (EO) establishing the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. Among the concerns is the commission’s directive to “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs” in children. The Secretary’s remarks are concerning as they undermine the safety and efficacy of mental health medications as well as feed into stigma for those with mental health disorders who seek treatment. Read more about the Commission and how AAPP is preparing for advocacy.

AAPP is a sponsoring organization of the NIDA Mentor-Facilitated Training Awards (NIDA-MFT) which supports the development of expertise in SUD among early career investigators through the completion of a mentor-supervised project. Applications are due 9/2/25.

The 2024 AAPP Summit, a 2-day virtual event, will be held on October 10th and 11th. The Summit features 8 evidence-based sessions on emerging areas of practice and contemporary issues in psychiatric pharmacy. This interactive, virtual conference is co-sponsored with the Society of Pain and Palliative Care (SPPCP) and provides knowledge and tools to improve the comprehensive care of patients with mental health disorders. Psychiatric and pain pharmacists will find this content valuable regardless of the practice setting. Register now and join us to earn 10 hours of ACPE and BCPP recertification credit! Two grant supported sessions will also be available for an additional 2 hours of ACPE credit.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) held its meeting in Alexandria, VA, to advance collective efforts toward increased recognition of and payment for Pharmacists’ Patient Care Services. The day’s discussions centered on building momentum from current achievements and identifying next steps for progress. During the morning session, members focused on the recently approved, and soon to be released, revised JCPP Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process and explored strategies for implementation across all pharmacy practice settings. The afternoon featured dialogue around regulatory frameworks that support patient care, with particular emphasis on the standards of care approach to pharmacy regulation. Throughout the meeting, JCPP member organizations reaffirmed their commitment to expanding pharmacists’ roles within the health care system and enabling sustained delivery of patient care services. A special thanks to President Michelle Geier who was representing AAPP at her final JCPP meeting.

Register for the free webinar on June 18! The session will explore how interdisciplinary collaboration between pharmacy and laboratory teams can optimize patient care and support the successful implementation of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) programs.

"Understanding the differences [of laws and interpretation of the laws] allows us to not only better serve our patients but also create avenues for advocacy." #WIWIK

The AAPP Foundation continues to promote mental health education to psychiatric pharmacists, residents, and students nationwide by sponsoring Mental Health First Aid training. AAPP Director of Continuing Professional Development Beth DeJongh, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, is the lead faculty member for the training and is joined by AAPP member Emma Palmer, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, Associate Professor at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati.

Whether you're building an LAI clinic from scratch or scaling up, leadership support and patient access are key. This course shows learners how to advocate for LAI services, boost patient volume, and implement policies that make clinics thrive. #LAI

Toolkit with tips and guideline summaries on opioid use disorder: screening, diagnosis, withdrawal, medications for treatment, overdose prevention education/treatment, special populations, co-occurring disorders, harm reduction strategies, and references.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released important information related to "Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations," "Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter," and "Continuity of Care via Telemedicine for Veterans Affairs Patients."

AAPP is launching two new BCPP Preparatory Products in June 2024 to help psychiatric pharmacists better prepare for the BCPP exam: a Developing Effective Test-Taking Skills webinar and a Psychiatric Pharmacy Specialty Mock Exam. These products will complement the popular Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Book and the BCPP Prep Series as methods of preparing for the BCPP exam.

Mental illness and substance use disorders are common in correctional populations. Watch this video to learn about a psychiatric pharmacist's role in correctional healthcare.

AAPP is pleased to announce an additional AAPP Collegiate Chapter bringing the total number of student chapters to 50! Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, advised by AAPP member Faith Wellings, PharmD, BCPS, is the newest student chapter. Congratulations and welcome to AAPP Collegiate Chapter at Wilkes University Nesbitt School of Pharmacy!

The 2/6/25 #JournalClub (2/2) presented "Comparing Intubation Rates in Patients Receiving Parenteral Olanzapine With and Without a Parenteral Benzodiazepine in the Emergency Department." The recording is available free to all AAPP members.

“The Best part about being a girl is now I don’t have to pretend to be a boy.” Dr. Jennifer Moore began her keynote presentation at AAPP’s 2023 Annual Meeting with this impactful statement, preparing the audience for a discussion on transgender care across the continuum. Delivered with “kindness and compassion”, the learning objectives highlighted components of the transgender experience, including barriers to care as well as multi-disciplinary approaches to care. Delivered with “empathy and respect”, this conversation led the audience through the longitudinal experiences of transgender youth in the U.S.

Act now! Tell the administration to expand access to lifesaving care by eliminating the DEA’s prohibition on the prescribing of methadone for OUD.

During this complimentary, grant-funded webinar, participants will learn about the potential benefits and drawbacks of available PPD treatments – including newer NAS medications. Register today and earn 1 hour of ACPE credit upon webinar completion.

Managing LAIs in special populations requires skill and confidence. This course helps learners navigate complex scenarios - from dual LAI use to treating pregnant and pediatric patients. Build your expertise to optimize care in the toughest cases. #LAI

Thanks to our partnership with Current Psychiatry (CP) published through Quadrant Healthcom Inc., another Savvy Psychopharmacology article was featured in the January 2020 edition of Current Psychiatry. The goal of this section is to present an evidence-based discussion to guide safe, effective prescribing of psychotropic medications. Eva Studer, MD, Tawny L. Smith, PharmD, BCPP, and Smitha Murthy, MD, authored this article on Valproic acid-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

Level up your CV and get certified in Mental Health First Aid! The next course is July 16, 2025, and there is no cost thanks to the bequest of Kim Tallian.

FDA Clears First Blood Test Used in Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease

The recording of AAPP’s Forum on our Future and answers to the questions posed by members are now posted on the website. Listen in to learn more about the exciting progress at AAPP. Members are welcome to submit questions to board@aapp.org year-round.

Participation will consist of access to virtual training materials, as well as access to a web-based item authoring platform to draft and submit 5-10 exam items according to assigned areas of the examination content outline beginning in July 2025. Applications are due by June 6, 2025.

Join AAPP and other stakeholders in sharing your voice (using the provided toolkit) recommending the elimination of the DEA prohibition on the prescribing of methadone. The DOJ Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force is seeking comment by May 27 on regulations that prevent competition within the health care sector. Current regulation that limits dispensing of methadone for OUD to opioid treatment programs (OTP) is anticompetitive and severely restricts patient access to treatment. Fixing this regulation to allow practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD that patients can pick up at a local pharmacy would greatly improve patient choice in addiction treatment – especially in cases where methadone is the most effective option for an individual.

This free Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) guide provides webinars introducing CMM and helpful tools for implementing CMM.

This free webinar provides the knowledge and skills to effectively manage benzodiazepine tapering in primary care settings and is co-presented by AAPP member Amy VandenBerg, PharmD, BCPP, FAAPP. The webinar is scheduled for 12:00-1:00 PM ET.

"Combatting self-doubt and recognizing imposter syndrome can be a difficult. As a learner in any stage of your career, it is important to recognize your self-worth and keep striving to build off your experiences" #WIWIK

During this complimentary, grant-funded webinar, participants will gain insight into the barriers to effective psychotropic LAI use and explore current research. Register today and earn 1 hour of ACPE credit upon webinar completion.

AAPP is proud to host psychiatric pharmacists, psychiatric pharmacy residents, and pharmacy students of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexual orientations at AAPP 2024. AAPP understands how the environment in the host state of Florida may be concerning to conference registrants and members and, as such, AAPP has taken many steps to prioritize the attendee experience and wellbeing.

“What word would you choose to describe the current state of mental health for teenagers in America?” Dr. Jessica “Jessie” Merritt, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, introduced her presentation entitled “Teen Suicide, the Silent Epidemic” with this audience participation question. As words like “crisis,” “scary,” “fragile,” and “concerning” grew larger in the screen, the audience began to explore feelings evoked by the profound initial question, and the topic at hand for one of the Wednesday morning keynote sessions at AAPP 2023.

The 2/20 #JournalClub presented "Evaluation and Comparison of the Effectiveness of Atropine Eye Drops, Ipratropium Bromide Nasal Spray, and Amitriptyline Tablet in the Management of Clozapine-Associated Sialorrhea in Patients With Refractory Schizophrenia"

Substance use disorders are highly prevalent among patients with mental health conditions. Troy Moore, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPP shares his experience in the management of substance use disorders within the Veterans Health Administration.

Sharpen your skills in LAI dosing, administration, and treatment adjustments with expert tips you won't find in standard guidelines. Learn advanced strategies for optimizing LAIs, managing medication errors, and improving patient outcomes. #LAI

A study published in Pediatrics found no causal relationship between stimulants and psychosis among young people with ADHD.

Studying for the BCPP exam? Test your knowledge with our 150-question mock exam! #psychpharmacy #BCPP #AAPP #BPS #boardcertification

Supported by a Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant from the AAPP Foundation, pharmacy student Christian Moon and advisor, Ericka Crouse, led the formation of Resilient Smile! The VCU AAPP Collegiate Chapter recruited students from the schools of medicine, nursing, and dentistry as well as the College of Health Professions and VCU Graduate School to participate in a two-day service project to assemble 250 dental care kits. We applaud their efforts!

"The key to having a positive volunteer experience is selecting an area that you are passionate about so that you...have the most enjoyable and impactful experience." #WIWIK

This free pharmacist toolkit provides quick tips on an overview, HCV medications quick references, drug interactions of Hepatitis C Virus treatments, and references.

Hospitalizations shouldn't interrupt progress. This course arms learners with the tools to ensure psychotropic LAIs are started early, continued through transitions, and supported by strong care coordination. #LAI

Member Stephanie Nichols Presents Navigating Pharmacotherapy: Co-occurring Bipolar Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder on May 15: One of the first educational programs hosted in the new SAMHSA SMI Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) will be presented by member Stephanie Nichols, PharmD, MPH, BCPP, BCPS, FCCP, FAAPP. This webinar will focus on evidence-based strategies for navigating drug interactions, managing adverse effects and optimizing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to improve patient care. Executive Director Brenda Schimenti and Past President Ray Love represent psychiatric pharmacy on the SMI TTAC Consultative Monitoring Board.

During AAPP 2023, AAPP presented the 2023 Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award to Charles Caley, PharmD, BCPP, Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield, MA. The Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award is presented annually to a senior psychiatric pharmacy practitioner who has achieved a level of professional distinction and represents the qualities and ideals of professional enthusiasm, a passion for optimizing patient care, and continuing dedication to the practice of psychiatric pharmacy. The Saklad Memorial Award is named after the late Judith J. Saklad.

AAPP believes the directives of MAHA threatens to worsen health outcomes and reignite stigma toward individuals living with psychiatric disorders. Evidence shows that limiting psychotropic medications will further the mental health crisis.

A certificate award ceremony and dinner at AAPP 2025 provided opportunities to shower attention on the 2025 class of Fellows. The Fellows Program recognizes members who have demonstrated excellence in advancing the practice of psychiatric pharmacy and have distinguished themselves in advancing the mission and goals of the association, thereby promoting public awareness of the profession. After induction, Fellows can be recognized by the initials “FAAPP”.

Thanks to member Becky Hoss, PharmD, BCPP, for responding to media inquiries to AAPP on extended release buprenorphine.

The 2024 Annual Report is available! THANK YOU to our 2024 donors! A full listing is available in the report along with the Foundation Board of Directors.

The 2/20/25 #JournalClub (2/2) presented "Brexpiprazole and sertraline combination treatment in posttraumatic stress disorder." The recording is available free to all AAPP members.

The Psychiatric and Neurologic Medication Pipeline is one of the most anticipated sessions of #AAPP2025! Dr. Saklad is back today at 10:00 AM Mountain to bring us his insights and wisdom. #SLC #psychpharm

It's the final day of #AAPP2025! We have loved hosting nearly 900 attendees in Salt Lake City and virtually. Check out the schedule for our final 3 sessions today. #psychpharmacy #SLC #ACPE #AnnualMeeting