Psychiatric and Neurologic Medication Pipeline

As medication management experts, pharmacists must remain up-to-date by understanding newly marketed medications and those in the clinical development pipeline. To fulfill this role, pharmacists must master essential clinically relevant knowledge about each new medication’s efficacy for the tested indication, tolerability, and safety. This information includes the pharmacodynamic mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, drug interactions, and pharmacoeconomics. Armed with this knowledge, pharmacists will be well-positioned to advocate for the use of the most beneficial medication by educating patients and other key stakeholders, including other prescribers. In this session, participants will learn about therapeutic advances in new and emerging psychiatric and neurologic medications and how these agents fit into current clinical practice.

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

Stephen R. Saklad, PharmD, BCPP
View biographical information

Stephen R. Saklad, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Professor Emeritus
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacotherapy & Translational Science
San Antonio, TX

Dr. Saklad received his baccalaureate degree in Bacteriology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1974 and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Southern California in 1978. He then completed a National Institute of Mental Health training fellowship in Psychiatric Pharmacy supervised by Jim Wilson, Pharm.D., BCPP at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute of the University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha in 1979. In 1979 he joined the faculty of The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy and the clinical staff at San Antonio State Hospital (SASH). He has lived in San Antonio, Texas since 1979. He is married and the father of triplet sons.
 
Dr. Saklad initiated and developed the first websites for the UT Austin College of Pharmacy in 1994, the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP; now the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, AAPP) in 1997, and the CPNP Foundation in 2015. He was a founding member of CPNP as well as the CPNP Foundation. He has been on the Board of Directors, Communications Committee, was the Founding Senior Editor of the Mental Health Clinician, Treasurer of the CPNP Foundation, and member of the CPNP Business Development Committee. He helped to create and has chaired The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy’s Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Update since 2007.
 
Dr. Saklad is widely published and presents to many groups around the country on a variety of pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, and mental health-related topics. He has been a principal or co-investigator for studies of the efficacy and adverse effects of Phase II, III, and IV psychotropic agents in schizophrenia, mood disorders, depression, and other serious and persistent mental illness, as well as their pharmacokinetics and interactions.

Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the efficacy and safety data of the emerging and recently approved psychiatric and neurologic medication pipeline.
  2. Explain appropriate monitoring requirements, patient education points, and provider education for these agents.
  3. Discuss clinical use of new and emerging medications and where these agents fit into current clinical practice.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 04/30/2025 - 04/30/2028
ACPE Contact Hours: 1
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-25-023-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.

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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 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.