Revision of 2026 Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Course from Wed, 10/08/2025 - 08:05

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Course Description

The Review Course is a knowledge-based continuing pharmacy education (CPE) activity designed for pharmacists to acquire factual knowledge. Whether a certification candidate or a currently certified individual, the purpose of the Review Course is to assist the practitioner in developing and maintaining contemporary knowledge and skills. The Review Course is not designed to develop more in-depth "subspecialty" knowledge. Course content is structured to provide a comprehensive review of the three psychiatric pharmacy domains specified by the BCPP Specialty Council. Selection of the Review Course as part of the recertification plan ensures the BCPP has systematically reviewed and assessed core knowledge in the psychiatric specialty practice.
 
This course is a two-year product released at the start of even years (2026, 2028...). Credit may NOT be earned in consecutive years with the same edition of the book (i.e., credit may not be earned in both 2026 and 2075 with the same book edition).
 
The Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Course includes:
  • A book (additional shipping fee required) containing comprehensive outlines of the topics noted in the curriculum section below. The outlines consist of objectives, thorough subject related content, comprehensive reference listings by topic, and self-assessment questions and answers.
  • An e-book version of the book hosted by VitalSource Bookshelf, a leading e-textbook solution. This e-book version allows you to take electronic notes as well as download the book to your desktop or mobile device for off line access.
  • For pharmacists, 20.0 contact hours of ACPE credit and 20.0 hours of recertification credit achieved by successfully completing the online AAPP recertification examination. BCPP Recertification credit is earned and reported within the year the assessment is successfully completed.

Credit is awarded in the calendar year the assessment is completed. AAPP reports continuing credit for ACPE (CPE Monitor) and BCPP Recertification (BPS) within days of successful exam completion. This course is a two-year product released at the start of even years (2026, 2028...). Credit may NOT be earned in consecutive years with the same edition of the book (i.e., credit may not be earned in both 2026 and 2027 with the same book edition).

Learning Objectives

Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Disorders

(2 ACPE hours)

ACPE #0284-0000-26-002-H01-P (Knowledge)
Author: Robin Hieber, PharmD, BCPP
Learning Objectives
At the end of this program, the participant should be able to:

  1. Describe the signs and symptoms, diagnostic criteria, and pathophysiology for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, including the listing of medications, substances, and diseases that can cause or worsen the psychiatric symptoms for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
  2. Explain the use of common rating scales for the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
  3. Discuss the efficacy of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment options (including natural products, if applicable) in the acute and long-term management of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
  4. Outline the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacogenetic properties (if applicable), adverse events, significant drug interactions, and warnings/precautions (including medical comorbidities, black box warnings, and REMS programs) and withdrawal symptoms for drugs used in anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
  5. Describe treatment guidelines and landmark clinical trials, including study design, strengths and weaknesses, and implications for practice for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.
  6. Select an evidence-based drug therapy regimen (drug, dose, schedule, and duration of therapy) for stabilizing symptoms and preventing relapse given the clinical presentation of a specific patient.
  7. Outline a plan for monitoring and managing the safety and efficacy of drug therapy.
  8. Describe the management of anxiety and anxiety-related disorders in special populations (e.g., pregnancy/lactation, children, and older adults).
  9. Identify essential information to discuss during patient education about medication therapy and organizations that advocate and provide resources for individuals with anxiety and anxiety-related disorders.

Target Audience

BCPPs who are preparing to recertify by exam or via continuing education are the intended audience for this product. Learners seeking broad, knowledge-level coverage of the most common psychiatric, substance use, and neurologic illnesses and their pharmacotherapy along with biostatistics and regulatory aspects of practice will benefit from this course. The Review Course is not designed to develop more in-depth knowledge. This activity targets BCPPs who are visual learners, comfortable with individual, self-paced learning and who learn best from a structured, consistent set of materials with reference to additional learning materials. This product also serves as a thorough preparatory resource for pharmacists who are not credentialed but are sitting for the BCPP examination. BCPPs responsible for teaching/precepting others also note the value of this product long after completing it for their personal learning.

Course Requirements

To satisfactorily complete the recertification programming and receive BCPP Recertification and ACPE credit, candidates must meet the following requirements:

  • Register for this course.
  • Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
  • Abide by a confidentiality and honesty statement requiring individual completion of the course.
  • Complete the post-test at the end of the activity no later than the closing activity date.
  • Complete an activity evaluation form.
  • Wait for an official review of exam questions within 4 weeks following the closing date.
  • Receive a passing grade (TBD).
  • Partial credit is not provided; your exam score must meet or exceed the cut-off score in order to receive the ACPE and BCP Recertification credit.
  • Learners who do not achieve a passing score on a post-activity assessment may appeal assessment questions and/or take a remediation assessment. View AAPP's Post-Activity Assessment Appeal and Remediation Policy.
  • Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 01/13/2026 - 09/30/2026
ACPE Contact Hours: 20
ACPE Numbers: 0284-0000-26-001-H04-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-002-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-003-H04-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-004-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-005-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-006-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-007-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-008-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-24-009-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-24-010-H04-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-24-011-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-012-H01-P (Knowledge), 0284-0000-26-013-H01-P (Knowledge)
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.

ACPEThe American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. The 2026-2027 Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Course is a knowledge-based course and will provide 20 hours of continuing education credit. Additionally, the 2026-2027 Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Course will provide 20 hours of BCPP Recertification credit. BCPP Recertification credit is earned and reported within the year the assessment is successfully completed.

The American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists is approved as a Professional Development Provider for the Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) specialty by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). This course is part of a 20 hour BCPP recertification product earned after successful completion of the associated BCPP recertification examination for the full product.
AAPP reports continuing credit for ACPE (CPE Monitor) and BCPP Recertification (BPS) within days of successful exam completion.

View AAPP's Privacy Policy

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.

Questions? Contact AAPP.

View planning committee disclosures

2024-2025 Editorial Board

Beth DeJongh, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
Director of Continuing Professional Development
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists Lincoln, NE
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose
Megan J. Ehret, PharmD, BCPP, MS
Professor
Associate Professor
Monrovia, MD
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: Saladex Biomedical Consultant, Lexi-Comp Consultant/Reviewer, SMI Adviser; Pharmacist Consultant
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: FDA/University of Maryland CERSI, Maryland Behavioral Health Department, NIH
Clayton D. English, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, BCGP
Assistant Professor
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Non-Financial Interests: Drug Utilization Review Board-Vermont State Medicaid, Board Member
Stephanie Nichols, PharmD, MPH, BCPP, BCPS, FCCP
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
University of New England
Portland, ME
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: I am a member of the New England Public Advisory Council (affiliated with the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review)., I am a consultant for SAMHSA grant funded Opioid Response Network.
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: I am contracted as a subject matter expert for multiple Project ECHO communities in Northern New England that focus on OUD, AUD, and psychiatric conditions in older adults. These are hosted by the University of New Hampshire system., I am contracted as a SME for the Support for ME (Maine) SUD grant funded provider education and support program
Non-Financial Interests: Maine Independent Clinical Information Service Academic Detailing Advisory Committee, Member of the Maine's Gubernatorial Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee, Member of the Lunder-Dineen Time to Ask (about unhealthy drinking) Advisory Committee, Member of the Board of Directors of the Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine, Member of the Maine Medical Professionals Health Program Advisory Committee, Chair of the Maine Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee
Carol A. Ott, PharmD, MPH, BCPP
Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Purdue University/Eskenazi Health
Indianapolis, IN
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: Project ECHO - Indiana University - Opioid Use Disorders - Expert Panelist, Tippecanoe County (Indiana) Public Defender's Office - case consultation, Psychopharmacology Consultation Team - Indiana University - Department of Child Services, Wolters-Kluwer/Lexi-Comp
Educational grants: SAMHSA
Non-Financial Interests: Indiana Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board, Indiana Medicaid Mental Health Quality Advisory Committee (MHQAC), NAMI West Central Indiana
Chris Paxos, BCGP, BCPP, BCPS
Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rootstown, OH
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

All relevant relationships have been mitigated.

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.

This activity may include discussions of products or devices that are not currently approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or are currently investigational.

In accordance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is disclosed that there is the potential for discussions concerning off-label uses of a commercial product/devices during this educational activity.

Any person who may contribute to the content of this continuing education activity must disclose significant relationships (and any known relationships of their spouse/partner) with commercial companies whose products or services are discussed in this activity. Significant relationships include receiving from a commercial company research grants, consultant fees, travel, other benefits, or having a self-managed equity interest in a company.

Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone any bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

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.