If you are a pharmacist, nurse practitioner or other healthcare professional, we invite you to participate in this online course.
Activity Overview
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is becoming one of the most prevalent and proliferating public health concerns worldwide because of its high rate of morbidity, recurrence, and associated suicide, all of which result in a profound burden to both the individual and society. Clinical pharmacists face the everyday challenge of providing individualized, safe, and effective care for patients with MDD. Through two interactive modules, this activity will review recent clinical data and guidelines in the management of MDD. Case studies will introduce potential treatment strategies, communication tools, and other data for learners to consider.
Module 1 will cover “The Pathogenesis of Depression: From Traditional Theories to Novel Concepts”
Module 2 will cover “Treatment Selection in Depression: The Role of Pharmacists in Optimizing Therapeutic Outcomes”
This educational activity is jointly sponsored by the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists and Spire Learning.
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Faculty Information and Disclosures
Patrick R. Finley, PharmD, BCPP Matthew A. Fuller, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, FASHP Roger W. Sommi, PharmD, FCCP, BCPP Amy Werremeyer, PharmD, BCPP
Patrick R. Finley, PharmD, BCPP
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy
San Francisco, CA
Patrick R. Finley, PharmD, BCPP, is Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy. Dr Finley earned his doctorate in pharmacy at UCSF and completed 2 residencies, the first in clinical pharmacy at the University of Arizona Medical Center and the second in clinical pharmacokinetics at UCSF. Dr Finley’s research interests in psychopharmacology span clinical, epidemiologic, pharmacokinetic, and health policy domains. He frequently presents nationally and internationally on topics related to mood disorders. He is a prolific author and reviewer, and has been a Principal Investigator for several recent studies exploring the integration of pharmacists into multidisciplinary treatment models for depression. Dr Finley was asked to serve on the Parental Depression Committee of the Institute of Medicine and National Academies, and has current appointments as an editorial advisory board member for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, CNS Spectrums, and the Neuroscience Education Institute. He is a board member of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists Foundation (CPNPF). He is a licensed provider at the UCSF Women’s Health Center, where he has established a clinic managing the mood disorders of primary care patients.
Faculty Disclosures
No relevant financial relationships to disclose
Dr. Finley does not intend to discuss the off-label or investigational use of agents.
Matthew A. Fuller, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, FASHP
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Psychiatry
Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of
Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Cleveland, OH
Matthew A. Fuller, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, FASHP, is Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Psychiatry, at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Ohio. He holds 2 academic positions at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland as Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Instructor of Psychology. Dr Fuller received his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Cincinnati. He completed a residency in hospital pharmacy at Bethesda Hospital in Zanesville, Ohio, before joining the VA Medical Center in Cleveland. Dr Fuller directs the ASHP-accredited PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice Residency Program. He is an ASHP Fellow and is past president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. Dr Fuller is a reviewer for the Archives of General Psychiatry, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, and American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, and serves on the Editorial Board on Psychiatry of The Annals of Pharmacotherapy. He is author of 2 psychotropic drug information handbooks and a frequent presenter at local, state, and national meetings.
Faculty Disclosures
No relevant financial relationships to disclose
Dr. Fuller discusses the off-label or investigational use of the following: ketamine, brexipiprazole, I-methylfolate.
Roger W. Sommi, PharmD, FCCP, BCPP
Associate Dean, UMKC School of Pharmacy at MU
Vice Chair, Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration
Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Psychiatry
UMKC School of Pharmacy
Kansas City, MO
Roger W. Sommi, PharmD, FCCP, BCPP, is Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice, with a cross appointment in the Department of Psychiatry in the UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri. He serves as Associate Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Vice Chair, Division of Pharmacy Practice and Administration at UMKC. He is also Research Director for the Psychopharmacy Research and Education Program at the Center for Behavioral Medicine (formerly Western Missouri Mental Health Center). Dr Sommi received his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and completed a residency in hospital pharmacy at the University of Utah Hospital and a fellowship in psychiatric pharmacotherapy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr Sommi is a founding member and past president of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) and has served CPNP on several committees including the Past President’s Council, strategic planning committee, and for the past several years as chair and past-chair of the Business Development Committee. He was actively involved in the establishment of Psychiatric Pharmacy as a specialty and was part of the effort that led to the development of the recertification process for psychiatric pharmacy. Dr Sommi has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator in numerous clinical trials, and is a reviewer for the journals Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, Current Medical Research and Opinion, Current Psychiatry, and Annals of Pharmacotherapy, among others. He is also a frequent author and presenter.
Speakers Bureau/Educational Services: Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc; Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc, U.S. Region; Sunovion
Dr. Sommi does not intend to discuss the off-label or investigational use of agents.
Amy Werremeyer, PharmD, BCPP
Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences
Fargo, ND
Amy Werremeyer, PharmD, BCPP, is Vice Chair and Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at North Dakota State University (NDSU) College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences in Fargo. She earned her doctorate in pharmacy at NDSU and completed a residency in pharmacy practice at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fargo. Dr Werremeyer is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) and is Senior Editor of CPNP’s journal, The Mental Health Clinician. In addition to teaching, she practices on inpatient and partial hospital psychiatry units, providing drug consultation services and patient education, and is preceptor for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) students. Each year, Dr Werremeyer travels to Guatemala as a pharmacist on a medical mission team and serves as preceptor for the NDSU Guatemala medical mission APPE rotation. Her research interests include evaluation of group patient education, exploration of patients’ medication experience, and study of the public health complexities of depression in combination with diabetes and/or alcoholism.
Faculty Disclosures
No relevant financial relationships to disclose
Dr Werremeyer discusses the off-label or investigational use of the following: selegiline (oral), milnacipran, ketamine, lithium, triiodothyronine, buspirone, riluzole, agomelatine, buspirone + melatonin, amitifadine, CX157, mecamylamine, and celecoxib.
Apply current theories on the role of serotonin and its varying receptor profiles to an understanding of the dysregulation of mood, cognition, and behavior
Utilize an understanding of the neurobiology of depression to examine clinical updates on current and novel treatment paradigms in depression
Interpret recent clinical trial data implicating the concomitant modulation of several serotonergic receptor systems in optimizing therapeutic outcomes in MDD
Modify treatment plans for MDD by taking into account the benefits/limitations of traditional antidepressants in achieving symptomatic remission and recovery
Demonstrate the evidence-based need for emerging therapies with novel mechanisms of action in targeting residual symptoms in depression management
Apply an understanding of the importance of symptomatic remission and recovery in achieving optimal outcomes in depression management
Illustrate the limitations of current health system management of depression and the evolving role of the clinical pharmacist in optimizing outcomes
Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures
The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Each module will provide 1.0 contact hours (0.1 CEUs), for a total of 2 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of application-based continuing education credit. The ACPE universal program numbers assigned to this course are 0284-9999-15-076-H01-P and 0284-9999-15-077-H01-P (2.0 contact hours).
Mary C. Borovicka, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP
Associate Professor
University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Neighborhood Family Practice
Cleveland, OH
Nothing to disclose
Tara Reddy, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacist
VA Sierra Nevada Healthcare System
Reno, NV
Nothing to disclose
Kara R. Wong, PharmD, BCPP
Clinical Pharmacist, Mental Health
Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Minneapolis, MN
Nothing to disclose
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.
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.
Grant Support
This activity is supported by an educational grant from Takeda Pharmaceuticals International, Inc., U.S. Region, and Lundbeck.
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The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Each module will provide 1.0 contact hours (0.1 CEUs), for a total of 2 contact hours (0.2 CEUs) of application-based continuing education credit. The ACPE universal program numbers assigned to this course are 0284-9999-15-076-H01-P and 0284-9999-15-077-H01-P (2.0 contact hours).