Beyond the Price Tag: Cost-Effectiveness of Today’s Psychotropic Medications

Course Description

Psychiatric pharmacists play a critical role in optimizing care while navigating the rising costs of newer medications. This session explores the principles of pharmacoeconomics and the application of cost-effectiveness analyses to newer psychotropic medications. Participants will compare emerging agents with standard treatments, using real-world examples to evaluate clinical and economic impact. Attendees will leave equipped to design treatment plans that integrate both therapeutic value and cost considerations, helping ensure access to high-impact care. 

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify the pharmacoeconomic principles used to assess the cost-effectiveness of newer psychotropic medications.
  2. Compare the cost-effectiveness of newer psychotropic agents versus standard of care in the treatment of common psychiatric disorders.
  3. Design a treatment plan that considers clinical efficacy and pharmacoeconomic impact of newer psychotropic agents.
     

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 course.

Faculty

Vera Reinstein, PharmD, BCPS, FNCAP
View biographical information

Dr. Reinstein is a clinical pharmacist with Alliance Health, one of the 4 public behavioral health services managed care organization (MCO) for Medicaid and uninsured consumers in North Carolina.

Dr. Reinstein is a proud gator, having earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Florida and completed PGY1 residency at Cone Health System in Greensboro. 

Credentialed as a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist since 1994, Dr. Reinstein has practiced in various settings, including academia with ambulatory care geriatric focus, industry, Inpatient hospital, Ambulatory Care in the VA in Florida, and NC Medicaid.  
In her current role since 2016 with Alliance Health, she works with internal staff and community partners to support and enhance access to evidence-based psychiatric pharmacotherapy, including access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and naloxone, to underutilized evidence-based therapies such as clozapine and long-acting injectable antipsychotics. 

Obtained funding and is involved in several projects with the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists to determine adequate payment for community pharmacies for services benefitting the behavioral health population, including long-acting injectable medication administration, adherence supports, tobacco cessation support, and point of care testing.

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.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 4/20/2026-4/20/2029
ACPE Contact Hours: 1.0
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-##-###-###-P (Application)
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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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.

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.