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Stepping Up During Crisis: Leveraging Pharmacists to Expand Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Care

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Activity Dates: 04/17/2023 - 04/17/2026

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Session Time and Location

The live session is complete.

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.

Session Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic had many potential impacts on people with mental health and substance use conditions, including direct consequences of infection, effects of infection control measures, and subsequent societal changes. Infection control impacted how mental health and substance use disorder care is delivered. To meet the needs, many strategies were developed, including telehealth and digital tools like apps and websites for therapy. This shift to telemedicine appears to be welcomed for use in some contexts and will likely outlast the pandemic. However, many fear it has potential negative impacts on rapport and therapeutic relationships. In addition, it does not meet the needs of individuals without the access and expertise necessary to use the technology. Determining when and where to continue using innovations developed during the pandemic is needed. This session will describe innovative and emerging opportunities utilized to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder care, outline strategies to remove barriers to care delivery by pharmacists, and highlight best practices and treatment standards that were applied during the pandemic.

Published Research Related to this Session: 
  • Gillespie C, Kleinberg F, Zogas A, Morreale A, Tran M, Moore T, Miller D, McCullough M. Perceptions of clinical pharmacy specialists’ contributions in mental health clinical teams. Ment Health Clin;12(1):15-22. https://doi.org/10.9740/mhc.2022.01.015                                                     
  • Groppi J, Ourth H, Tran M, Morreale A, McFarland MS, Moore T, Jorgenson T, Torrise V. Increasing rural patient access using clinical pharmacy specialist providers: Successful practice integration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. AJHP 2021. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxab011                                                               
  • Moore T, Groppi J, Ourth H, Morreale A, Torrise V. Increasing Access to Care using Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Providers in Outpatient Mental Health: Successful Practice Integration within the Department of Veterans Affairs. JAPhA 2020;60:S107-S112.

Course Requirements

To receive ACPE credit for this session, you must:

  • 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.

Faculty Information

Veldana Alliu, PharmD, BCPS
Tera Moore, PharmD, BCACP

View biographical information

Learning Objectives

  1. Assess how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health/substance use disorder treatment standards and best practices.
  2. Evaluate innovations implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic to improve access to mental health/substance use disorder care during a time of crisis.
  3. Choose collaborative practice models that integrate pharmacist practitioners and enhance access to mental health/substance use disorder care.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 04/17/2023 - 04/17/2026
ACPE Contact Hours: 1
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-23-005-H04-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.

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