Idea Exchanges | Hosted by AAPP Communities

• Speakers
  • Danial Chowdhury, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist, Brandt Behavioral Health Center and Retreat; Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
• Moderators
  • Ashley Maister, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner, Psychiatry; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
  • Vincent Cavaliere, PharmD, MM, BCPP; Clinical Assistant Director of Pharmacy, Spring Grove Hospital Center - University of Maryland School of Pharmacy

• Speakers/Moderators
  • Amanda Smith, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Psychiatry Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital
  • Savanna LaFlamme, PharmD; Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Psychiatry Carilion New River Valley Medical Center

This session provides a comprehensive overview of cannabis education for healthcare providers, patients, and students. It discusses the legal implications of cannabis, including its scheduling and regulations, to help providers navigate legal complexities and ensure safe patient care. Patients will learn how to read cannabis labels, focusing on THC/CBD content, dosing, and health effects to make informed decisions. The session also addresses cannabis education in academic settings, highlighting key topics like pharmacology, therapeutic uses, and policy, preparing students for cannabis-related issues in clinical practice. Ultimately, the session aims to promote responsible, informed cannabis use across the spectrum of healthcare and education.

• Speakers
  • Kari L. Franson, PharmD, PhD; Professor, USC Mann School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Megan Maroney PharmD, BCPP, FAAPP; Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
  • Daniel Greer, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Associate Professor, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• Moderator
  • Zoe Karavolis, PharmD, MPH, BCPP, CPH; Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner, VA Phoenix Health Care System

​Psychiatry Medical Affairs professionals (inclusive of MSLs) play an often misunderstood role in the development, dissemination, and application of evidence-based medicine in psychiatry. Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacists (BCPPs) tend to encounter Medical Affairs professionals through clinical discussions, research inquiries and educational interactions, yet many BCPPs could further optimize their conversations to engage productively. This interactive idea exchange session will demystify “what really happens” within Medical Affairs from a practical, real-world perspective. Designed specifically for BCPPs, the session will clarify the structure, objectives, and ethical guardrails of Medical Affairs and the MSL role, with an emphasis on scientific exchange rather than promotion. Participants will actively explore common misconceptions, identify effective ways to ask and answer scientific questions, and discuss strategies for bidirectional exchange that supports clinical decision-making and patient care. By the end of the session, BCPPs will leave with concrete communication strategies, greater confidence in engaging Medical Affairs professionals, and a clearer understanding of how collaborative scientific exchange can strengthen evidence-based psychiatric practice.

• Speakers/Moderators
  • Ajarvis Cobb, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, CPh; Medical Science Liaison
  • Jarrett Johnson, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, CPh; Medical Science Liaison

Psychiatric pharmacists may face barriers to conducting successful research projects at their clinical sites, especially if they are not in an academic or research-based position. A panel of non-academic psychiatric pharmacists will discuss topics such as how they completed meaningful research projects, barriers to conducting research, skills necessary, funding, and demonstrating value to employers.

• Speakers
  • Katie MacCamy, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Pharmacist, University of Washington Medical Center
  • Katelyn Bye, PharmD; Clinical Neurology and Psychiatric Pharmacist; Mayo Clinic
  • Kayla Johnson, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
• Moderators
  • Kristin Waters, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Associate Clinical Professor
  • Bennett Doughty, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Medical Science Liaison, Field Based Medicine, Psychiatry, Axsome Therapeutics, Inc.

​Limitations in health literacy are associated with reduced preventative care usage, worsened health outcomes, including poorer mental health; poorer medication adherence; and medication self-management. In addition to socioeconomic factors affecting health literacy in the U.S., immigrants tend to have lower health literacy levels than those born and raised within the U.S. In 2025, the Pew Research Center estimated that immigrants comprised 15.4% of the U.S. population, comprising nearly one-fifth of the U.S. labor force. This discussion is especially timely given current U.S. legal policies affecting immigrants, which may exacerbate mental health concerns, reinforce distrust of the healthcare system, and reduce engagement with healthcare services. The 2025 Kaiser Family Foundation/New York Times’s Survey of Immigrants found that up to 80% of likely undocumented immigrants have experienced negative health impacts due to immigration concerns, alongside increased avoidance of governmental assistance and insurance programs, and higher rates of delayed or forgone healthcare. Psychiatric pharmacists fall at the crossroads of these disparities and benefit from being better equipped to recognize the needs of these patients and to provide more culturally sensitive care. This emerging data highlights the need for focused discussion amongst psychiatric pharmacists, who serve as integral members of mental health care teams and play a critical role in addressing medication access barriers.  

• Speaker
  • To be announced
• Moderators
  • Andrew Chantha Hean, PharmD, APh, BCPS, BCPP; Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Western University of Health Sciences
  • Carolanne Wartman, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP; Assistant Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Arizona

​The Teaching Communities is hosting an Ideal Exchange (IE) session focused on ways to incorporate Mental Health First Aid into the curriculum in schools of pharmacy. This IE is intended for anyone currently involved or interested in doing Mental Health First Aid in pharmacy education and equip student pharmacists with essential skills for recognizing and responding to mental health crises in their communities. The IE features three faculty speakers who have incorporated Mental Health First Aid at their institutions and offer pearls from their experience in implementing this training for their students. Following the presentations from each speaker, there will be a moderated Q&A, and it will serve as a forum for discussion for any attendees to share thoughts and offer their perspectives. The goal of this IE is to provide time for the attendees to gain and share insight from others’ experiences and identify strategies to incorporate Mental Health First Aid into their curriculum.

• Speakers
  • Farah Khorassani, PharmD, BCPP; Health Sciences Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, University of California, Irvine School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • Katelynn Mayberry, PharmD; Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacy Practice, Mercer University College of Pharmacy
  • Kelly N. Gable, PharmD, BCPP, FAAPP; Professor, Pharmacy Practice, Director of Well-being and Resilience, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy
• Moderators
  • Ingrid Chou, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Assistant Professor/Clinical Pharmacist; Rutgers University
  • Mei T. Liu, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Assistant Professor Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University

​Psychiatric pharmacy is a relatively new specialty within pharmacy. As such, many healthcare institutions have not previously employed a dedicated psychiatric pharmacist. This emerging area offers opportunities for new practitioners to be the first psychiatric pharmacist at an institution and to take on roles that may not be officially designated as "psychiatric pharmacist.” Often, these positions can be blended with other responsibilities within the pharmacy department. These positions can seem intimidating, especially with information recall outside of psychiatric pharmacy and finding a way to blend multiple areas of expertise. The goal of this session is to discuss how to balance the responsibilities of being a clinical pharmacist, demonstrate the benefits of psychiatric pharmacy to a department, and build relationships.

• Speaker
  • Bridgette Gleisner, PharmD, BCPP; Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Internal Medicine/Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Moderator
  • Miranda Johnson, PharmD, BCPP; Pharmacist Coordinator, UNC Hospitals Youth Behavioral Health

​Pediatric catatonia is being seen and treated more commonly across the country. Most treatment decisions must be made utilizing adult research and relying on experience of the treatment team. High dose benzodiazepines and ECT tend to be first line therapy, however this is complicated be the recent lorazepam vial shortage, as well as access barriers to ECT, especially for children and adolescents. Child and adolescent psychiatric pharmacists play a large role in guiding safe and effective medication management for these patients. The moderators will review available data and guideline recommendations, and lead discussion with peers on current practice successes and opportunities, with an emphasis on patient safety and overcoming treatment barriers.

• Speakers/Moderators
  • Danielle Stutzman, PharmD, BCPP; Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Pharmacist, Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children’s Hospital Colorado
  • Lauren Leiby, PharmD, BCPP; Behavioral Health Clinical Pharmacist, Nationwide Children’s Hospital