Chronic pain and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders go hand in hand, with each negatively impacting the outcome of the other. Individuals living with pain experience depression and anxiety at rates higher than the general population. It is important for psychiatric and pain pharmacists to recognize and ensure appropriate treatment for both pain and mental health conditions to improve patient outcomes. More and more, psychiatric pharmacists are involved in the care of patients with chronic pain for this reason. Thus, competency in assessing for/addressing mental health disorders and risk for suicide is paramount. This program will discuss the relationships between these conditions and the treatment modalities for patients experiencing chronic pain with co-occurring anxiety and/or depression.
Target Audience
If you are a pharmacist, nurse practitioner, or other health care professional involved in the comprehensive medication management of individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders, we invite you to participate in this online course.
Course Requirements
To receive ACPE credit for this session, you must:
- Register for this course.
- Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
- Complete the evaluation at the end of the activity.
- Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.
Faculty Information
View biographical information
Audrey Abelleira received her bachelor’s degree in biopsychology in 2014 and PharmD from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 2018. Following graduation she completed a PGY-1 pharmacy practice residency at Tufts Medicine’s MelroseWakefield Hospital in Melrose, MA and a PGY-2 psychiatric pharmacy residency at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL. She is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist and psychiatric pharmacist.
After completing residency Dr. Abelleira continued her clinical career as a mental health clinical pharmacist practitioner and clinical program manager, first at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and then with the VA New England Clinical Resource Hub, providing care to veterans throughout New England. Her clinical practice was focused on integrating mental health and substance use disorders treatment into interdisciplinary chronic pain management teams. Her research interests included increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder, the intersection between chronic pain and psychiatric disorders, and optimizing virtual modalities for delivering interdisciplinary pain and mental health care.
Recently Dr. Abelleira has joined the neuropsychiatry field medical team at Bristol Myers Squibb as a medical science liaison focusing on novel therapies for severe mental illness.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the relationship between chronic pain and mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety.
- Interpret the scores from validated instruments for comorbid chronic pain and depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal ideation.
- Develop an appropriate pharmacologic and/or non-pharmacologic treatment plan for patients experiencing comorbid chronic pain and depression/anxiety.
Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures
Activity Dates: 10/10/2024 - 10/10/2027
ACPE Contact Hours: 1.25
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-24-058-H08-P (Application)
Nursing Credit Reminder: Note that ACPE credit is accepted for ANCC Certification Renewal and AANPCB advanced practice provider content. For specific questions related to your organization's acceptance of ACPE continuing education units, please contact your organization directly.
The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.
AAPP owns the copyright, is licensed or has received permissions for use of, or is otherwise permitted to use copyrighted materials within any CPE activity. Authors and speakers are required to obtain necessary copyright permissions for content in CPE activities. AAPP complies with copyright laws and regulations.
View disclaimer and disclosure of off-label use
Off-Label Use: This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA (see faculty information). The opinions expressed in the educational activity do not necessarily represent the views of AAPP and any educational partners. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
Disclaimer: Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
View fair balance and integrity statement
It is the policy of AAPP to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in continuing education activities. Those involved in the development of this continuing education activity have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that information contained herein is accurate in accordance with the latest available scientific knowledge at the time of accreditation of this continuing education activity. Information regarding drugs (e.g., their administration, dosages, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, special warnings, and precautions) and drug delivery systems is subject to change, however, and the reader is advised to check the manufacturer’s package insert for information concerning recommended dosage and potential problems or cautions prior to dispensing or administering the drug or using the drug delivery systems.
Fair balance is achieved through ongoing and thorough review of all materials produced by faculty, and all educational and advertising materials produced by supporting organizations, prior to educational offerings. Approval of credit for this continuing education activity does not imply endorsement by AAPP for any product or manufacturer identified.