Sedative-Hypnotics: Benefits and Risks

Registration Options

Activity Dates: 05/10/2021 - 04/23/2024

Target Audience

This course is designed for pharmacists, nurse practitioners or other health care professionals involved in the comprehensive medication management of psychiatric and/or neurological patients.

Session Summary

The prevalence of insomnia has been cited to occur in up to 50% of the adult population. Medications used to treat insomnia are not without risks ranging from falls to memory loss and dependence. Participants will learn the latest evidence surrounding the treatment of insomnia, including the risks and benefits of pharmacotherapy. Following this session, participants will be able to provide evidence-based treatment recommendations regarding the use of these agents in insomnia.

Course Requirements

You will proceed through the following steps to satisfactorily complete this course:

Sign in (or create a FREE account).
Register for this course.
Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
Complete the post-test at the end of the activity no later than the closing activity date.
Complete the evaluation at the end of the activity.
If necessary, complete the post-test retest no later than the closing activity date.
Receive a passing grade (70%).
Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.

Upon successful completion, ACPE credit is reported within 24 hours to CPE Monitor although transcripts can be retrieved by participants online in their ACPE Transcript.

View System Requirements to Access All Session Resources

AAPP has invested in supporting the most popular web browsers and leveraging software that our members use daily. Beyond PDF downloads, the rest of the system is built on HTML5, a technology that most up-to-date browsers will support. To access AAPP course materials online, you will need:

A modern web browser with JavaScript and cookies enabled: Chrome is strongly recommended, or the latest version of Firefox or Safari.
A PDF reader: Chrome built-in, Firefox built-in, Acrobat or FoxIt
An adequate device and Internet connection: Processor: Dual-core 2Ghz or higher (Intel i3/i5/i7 or AMD equivalent); Memory: 4 GB; Storage: 5 GB available; Internet speed: 4.0 Mbps (up/down)

AAPP web sites no longer fully support Microsoft Internet Explorer or Windows 8.1 and older. We cannot guarantee that the site will function perfectly on every device and configuration, but using the latest version of the software above will greatly improve your experience.

Faculty Information and Disclosures

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, BCPP, FASCP

View biographical information and disclosures

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, BCPP, FASCP
Executive Director and Professor
Lamy Center University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD

Nicole Brandt, PharmD, MBA, BCGP, BCPP, FASCP, is professor in Pharmacy Practice and Science at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and executive director of the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging. Since joining the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Dr. Brandt has expanded available geriatric training opportunities, including the geriatrics/palliative care pathway, ASHP-accredited geriatrics residency, and two-year post-PharmD fellowship. She was named the 2019 recipient of the American Geriatrics Society’s (AGS) Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Award for her leadership in geriatrics education. She has worked on various interdisciplinary teams across numerous practice settings and is currently leading initiatives to integrate sustainable pharmacist-directed services to help older adults with multiple co-morbidities at the MedStar Center for Successful Aging. Dr. Brandt has been active in promoting optimal care for older adults and has affected this through her educational, clinical, as well as health care policy work. She co-led an initiative that led to the University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, Baltimore County to become the first universities in the state of Maryland to receive Age-Friendly University distinction. She has directed projects with multiple stakeholders focusing on Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management programs, high risk medications, and medication stewardship. Her public policy advocacy occurs on both a state and national level. She is one of the authors of the 2012, 2015 and 2018-2019 American Geriatrics Society Beer’s Criteria and the past president and board chairman of American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. She recently co-chaired a task force convened by the Peter Lamy Center on Drug Therapy and Aging at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy with assistance from the US Deprescribing Research Network to develop an Implementation Guide for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faculty Disclosures

Consultant: American Journal of Managed Care: Program on Insomnia in the Elderly funded by Merck

Presentation will include discussion of off-label, experimental, and/or investigational use of drugs or devices: None

All relevant relationships have been mitigated.

Learning Objectives

Describe the current place in therapy of medication for the treatment of insomnia.
Summarize the evidence of sedative hypnotics, antidepressants, and melatonin use for the treatment of insomnia.
Evaluate the risks of sedative hypnotic use for the treatment of insomnia.
Discuss best practices for patient education on risks vs benefits of sedative-hypnotics.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 05/10/2021 - 04/23/2024
ACPE Contact Hours: 1
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-21-019-H01-P (Knowledge)
Nursing Credit Reminder: Note that ACPE credit is accepted for certification renewal.

ACPE The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

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

2021 Program Committee

Shari N. Allen, PharmD, BCPP
Assistant Professor
PCOM-SOP
Suwanee, GA
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Jolene R. Bostwick, PharmD, BCPP, BCPS

Program Administrative Chair

Assistant Dean for Co-Curriculum and Professional Development & Clinical Professor
University of Michigan College of Pharmacy
Ann Arbor, MI
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Bridget Bradley, PharmD, BCPP
Associate Professor
Pacific University School of Pharmacy
Hillsboro, OR
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: PSAP May 2021, Neurology and Psychiatry Book
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: NACDS Community Pharmacy Residency Grant

Lauren M. Brown, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Psychiatry
South Texas Veterans Health Care System
San Antonio, TX
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Austin R. Campbell, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Psychiatry
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, MO
Financial Interests: Up To Date Contributor "Pharmacotherapy for schizophrenia: Long-acting injectable antipsychotic drugs"
Non-Financial Interests: Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, Show-Me ECHO Project

Chelsea N. Carr, PharmD, BCPP
Advanced Practice Pharmacist - Psychiatry
University of Maryland - Spring Grove Hospital Center
Catonsville, MD
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Jordan Cooler, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Columbia, SC
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Amber R. Douglass, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Mental Health
VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System
Murfreesboro, TN
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Kristen N. Gardner, PharmD, BCPP

Program Committee Chair

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Behavioral Health
Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Denver, CO
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: Biostrategies - one time consultant re:LAIAs

Robert J. Haight, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacist | Forensic Services
Saint Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC), Minnesota Department of Human Services
Saint Peter, MN
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Suzanne C. Harris, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Assistant Professor/UNC Hospitals Region Experiential Director/Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
Chapel Hill, NC
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: North Carolina AHEC Campus Innovations Grants

Kayla D. Johnson, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital
Spring Hill, TN
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Erin D. Knox, PharmD, BCPP
Pharmacy Education Specialist
UC Irvine Health
Orange, CA
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Marketa Marvanova, PharmD, PhD, BCGP, BCPP, FASCP
Dean and Professor
University of Montana, Skaggs School of Pharmacy
Missoula, MT
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: Editorial Board member: Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology, consultant for Lexicomp as a clinical specialist in neurology and psychiatry
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: AACP/NABP: District V grant, Dakota Medical Foundation

Melissa Mitchell, PharmD, BCGP, BCPP, BCPS
Senior Clinical Pharmacist
RUHS MC
Moreno Valley , CA
External Consultant Activities, Advisory Panels, Speakers Bureaus, etc.: Neurocrine Speakers Bureau - Ingrezza, Janssen Speakers Bureau - Spravato

Thea R. Moore, PharmD, BCPP
Associate Professor
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
Educational Grants, Research Grants or Contracts: Agency for Health Care Administration

Kristen Neumeister, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacist- Mental Health
John Peter Smith Hospital
Fort Worth, TX
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Melissa C. Palmer, PharmD, BCPP, BCPS
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy
Kansas City, MO
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Lindsey Peters, PharmD, BCPS
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Kristina Reinstatler, PharmD, BCPP, MBA
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
UC Health University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Michael D. Shuman, PharmD, BCPP
Staff Pharmacist
Central State Hospital
Louisville, KY
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Sheryl Thedford, PharmD, PhD, BCPS, BCPP
Clinical Psychiatric Pharmacist
University of Maryland, Spring Grove Hospital Center
Catonsville, MD
No Relevant Financial Relationships to Disclose

Taylor A. Thomas, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Mental Health
VA Northern Indiana Health Care System
Fort Wayne, IN
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 and disclosures). 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.