News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Reshaping Perspectives: The Link Between Stigma and Health Inequities in Mental Health, presented by Carolanne Wartman, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP. The session will underscore the importance of psychiatric pharmacists in advocating for patients with mental illness by fostering an environment free of judgment, recognizing and addressing personal and systemic biases, and employing evidence-based strategies to combat stigma. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

You can submit abstracts online for the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting from now through January 8, 2026. Accepted abstracts will be displayed during the meeting at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington, held April 19-22, 2026.

All 2026 BCPP Recertification products are available for pre-registration. Although course materials and examinations are not available until release dates, you can pre-register and order online today! Consider making these products part of your BPS Continuing Professional Development plan!

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Waste: What Pharmacists Need to Understand about Helping People in Crisis, presented by Jack Rozel, MD, MSL, DFAPA. Early psychosis presents a critical window to alter the long-term trajectory of schizophrenia, yet treatment decisions during this period are complex and highly individualized. This session will equip psychiatric pharmacists with the knowledge to compare efficacy, adverse effect profiles, and patient-specific factors when selecting antipsychotic medications for early psychosis. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

Stream this expert-led discussion on the expanding role of digital therapeutics in treating mental health conditions. Watch the recording and stay ahead in this fast-evolving field! Visit the course page to watch the webinar or learn more and register.

Our analyses characterized the landscape of shared and divergent genetic influences of common variants on 14 psychiatric disorders.

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Intended And Unintended Outcomes After FDA Pediatric Antidepressant Warnings, presented by Stephen Soumerai, ScD. This session will examine the clinical trial data that prompted the warnings, evaluate both the safety intentions and unintended consequences on prescribing patterns and patient outcomes, and highlight future research needed to clarify risks and inform evidence-based practice. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

Celebrating Opportunities During National Volunteer Week "Assess your skills, strengths, and passions. Commit and meet others and you will give back to a wonderful community by bringing your own unique, valuable perspective." Shadi Doroudgar

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Navigating Early Psychosis: Strategies for Optimal Antipsychotic Treatment Selection, presented by Deepak K. Sarpal, MD. Early psychosis presents a critical window to alter the long-term trajectory of schizophrenia, yet treatment decisions during this period are complex and highly individualized. This session will equip psychiatric pharmacists with the knowledge to compare efficacy, adverse effect profiles, and patient-specific factors when selecting antipsychotic medications for early psychosis. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

Dr. Clint Ross, PharmD, BCPP, addresses how to manage difficult student/resident situations.

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Overdose Prevention Centers: Research, Outcomes, and Clinical Relevance, presented by Brandon D.L. Marshall, PhD. Supervised consumption sites have been implemented in various countries and select U.S. jurisdictions with the goal of addressing overdose risk and connecting individuals to health care and social services. This presentation will review the available evidence on health and safety outcomes associated with these sites, including their impact on overdose events, infectious disease transmission, and community metrics. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

From inpatient strategies and complex case management to profitability and curriculum integration, this six-part program covers everything pharmacists need to lead with confidence in LAI care. #PatientCare #LAIs #psychiatricpharmacy #CE

These freely accessible resources include talking points on what psychiatric pharmacists do for patients and how they care for patients, where to locate a psychiatric pharmacist, consumer tools on common topics, and medication fact sheets.

Clinical pearls are an important part of medical education where psychiatric pharmacists share their experiences with unique patient cases and/or clinical challenges. The Program Committee is pleased to once again be accepting submissions for 13-minute presentations at AAPP 2026 on Tuesday, April 21, in Bellevue, Washington (on Seattle's Eastside). Pharmacists should submit their clinical pearl online for consideration by the January 8, 2026, deadline, and up to 3 presentations will be selected for the Clinical Pearls session.

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Beyond the Price Tag: Cost-Effectiveness of Today’s Psychotropic Medications, presented by Vera Reinstein, PharmD, BCPS, FNCAP. Attendees will leave equipped to design treatment plans that integrate both therapeutic value and cost considerations, helping ensure access to high-impact care. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Repurposing GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Substance Use Disorders, presented by Stephanie Weiss, MD, PhD. GLP-1 receptor agonists, traditionally used for metabolic conditions, are gaining attention for their potential to modulate reward pathways in addiction. This presentation explores the neurobiological rationale and emerging clinical evidence supporting their use in alcohol and other substance use disorders. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: Beyond Childhood: Management of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults, presented by Gary Stobbe, MD. This session explores the epidemiology and progression of ASD across the lifespan, highlights common co-occurring conditions in adulthood, and reviews current evidence for medication management of core symptoms in adult populations. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

Judy Curtis, Pharm.D., BCPP, FASHP shares opportunities for psychiatric pharmacists in industry and discusses her medical science liaison career.

#AAPP2026 Session Spotlight: Real World/Practical Insights in New Medications, presented by Kevin Kavanagh, PharmD, BCPP, Aph, Hejab J. Khan, PharmD, BCPP, and Hannah Wilkoff, PharmD, BCPP. Discover the evolving landscape of psychotropic medications and how new advancements are reshaping mental health treatment. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

AAPP Foundation has awarded the 2025 AAPP Practice Expansion grant to P. Brittany Vickery for the project, “The Hendersonville Free Clinic Practice Expansion via Flexible-Schedule Telepsychiatry Provided by a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner.” The project will expand access to care by a BCPP at multiple clinics. The $25,000 grant was funded through a gift from AAPP Founding Member Joni Fowler.

#AAPP2026 Spotlight: The Pleasure Pain Balance in a Dopamine Overloaded World, presented by Dr. Anna Lembke, MD. Participants will learn how chronic overstimulation shifts mood and motivation, and why practices like dopamine fasting can help reset the brain’s reward pathways. Join us at the 2026 AAPP Annual Meeting in Bellevue, WA, on Seattle’s Eastside, for this session! #AAPP #psychpharmacy #acpe #bcpp #bcpmp

See how board-certified psychiatric pharmacists are well positioned to manage medications for people with mental health conditions to address psychiatric workforce shortages. Regulatory changes can expand their impact on patient care.

AAPP Foundation has awarded the 2025 AAPP Practice Expansion grant to P. Brittany Vickery for the project, “The Hendersonville Free Clinic Practice Expansion via Flexible-Schedule Telepsychiatry Provided by a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner.” The project will expand access to care by a BCPP at multiple clinics. The $25,000 grant was funded through a gift from AAPP Founding Member Joni Fowler.

U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jim Justice (R-WV) introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure that people who are struggling with addiction can access life-saving medication-assisted treatment (MAT) – the gold standard of addiction care – without dangerous delays. The No Red Tape for Addiction Treatment Act would eliminate prior authorization requirements for people with Medicaid coverage who need medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, removing a bureaucratic barrier that can leave patients waiting days to fill their prescriptions when every moment counts.

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to “take all necessary steps to complete the rulemaking process related to rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III of the CSA in the most expeditious manner in accordance with Federal law.” The move seeks to reclassify cannabis out of Schedule I, loosening limits on research and other regulations while stopping short of full legalization. Rescheduling will not happen automatically because of the order, as it will still need to be done through the federal rulemaking process.

Through expert guidance, participants will refine their presentation skills and learn how to captivate audiences. This 2-hour program with ACPE credit provides a unique opportunity to gain practical tools to elevate speaking abilities, enhance your expertise and confidence, and make you a standout voice in the field of psychiatric pharmacy. Don't miss this opportunity to learn!

Efforts to reduce barriers to methadone initiation via partnerships between mobile health programs, SSPs, and OTPs can be a tool in combating the overdose crisis.

In this cohort study, based on data from US healthcare claims databases, initiating citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, or paroxetine while on hydrocodone was associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose compared with sertraline.

Given the high level of stigma and shame experienced by PWUDs, the lowest barrier HRVM access models should be adopted to promote equitable access to harm reduction and basic needs supplies.

Integrating methadone treatment into primary care settings improves adherence to guideline-concordant health care without compromising methadone retention and treatment quality.

Medication adherence may prevent overdose, ED use, and hospitalization. Strategies to increase treatment duration/adherence likely avert harm.

Total morbidity-related productivity losses attributable to substance use disorder in the U.S. are substantial, amounting to $92.65 billion in 2023.

AAPP supports funding, access, and delivery of harm reduction services to prevent substance-use related injury, disease, overdose, and misuse. Psychiatric pharmacists are encouraged to use this policy brief to support your own advocacy efforts promoting continued delivery of harm reduction services.

This white paper represents the largest study on OCD conducted in the US. The findings are striking: an overwhelming number of individuals with OCD are being undiagnosed or misdiagnosed by healthcare professionals. Even with a diagnosis, an astonishing treatment gap emerges, with a near total failure to provide, or even recommend, gold standard, evidence-based OCD therapy. Up to 10 million Americans live with OCD, yet only 1 in 6 receive a correct diagnosis. As a result, 95% of people in the US with OCD do not receive the most effective treatment, despite strong evidence that specialized therapy can significantly reduce symptoms and restore daily functioning. The white paper shares insights on the factors contributing to this issue as well as recommendations to help address them locally and nationally.

Across large parts of the U.S., more than 60% of residents are connected to a post office slated for consolidation, with some counties topping 80%. And these are the same communities — often rural, older, and managing chronic conditions — that depend most on timely mail-order medications, according to research from The Brookings Institution. Mail-order pharmacy use increases roughly 20% for every 10 miles farther a patient is from a pharmacy. About 6% of U.S. residents, or roughly 3.7 million Medicare beneficiaries, face a triple burden of limited pharmacy access, high mail-order use, and exposure to postal network restructuring.

In a study led by late Stanford professor Dr. Nolan Williams, a prospective open-label observational study of 30 male Special Operations veterans with traumatic brain injury single magnesium–ibogaine treatment given alongside complementary therapies produced large, rapid improvements in disability, PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidality and several cognitive domains at immediate and one-month follow-up.

Initiating methadone under the 72-hour rule in a low-threshold Bridge Clinic was evaluated in a retrospective review of 97 individuals, showing mean starting doses near 52 mg with rapid titration and a 96.9% successful linkage to an Opioid Treatment Program.

A team of researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has developed a data-driven tool that predicts who is at highest risk of stimulant overdoses, using demographic and clinical information to guide earlier intervention.

Newsweek reports on a new CDC-led study showing that substance use disorders (SUDs) drained nearly $93 billion from the U.S. economy in 2023 through lost work, reduced productivity and diminished household output.

This free pharmacist toolkit provides clinicians with evidence-based information necessary to safely and confidently manage patients who are candidates for treatment with MAOIs.

AAPP and the AAPP Foundation are pleased to be offering a complimentary, 2-hour workshop: Cultivating Expertise: Enhancing Presentation Design and Speaker Development in Psychiatric Pharmacists. Earn ACPE credit and make yourself a standout voice in the field of psychiatric pharmacy!

Dr. Jerry McKee, PharmD, MS, BCPP, explains the difference between BCPP re-testing versus recertification.

Improve your peer review skills! Discover the components to evaluate, the role of the peer reviewer, the skills necessary to critically evaluate a manuscript, and how to provide feedback to authors and journal editors.

Kelly Gable, professor and director of well-being and resilience at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy, and member of the AAPP Board, discusses her own cancer journey and how pharmacists need to be more involved and proactive in patients' mental health.

AAPP supports defining opioid use disorder as a treatable medical condition with a biological basis that is often associated with a history of trauma. Access to MOUD is essential in reducing deaths related to opioid overdose and landmark studies clearly demonstrate that the benefits of MOUD outweigh the risks. Psychiatric pharmacists are encouraged to use this policy brief to support your own advocacy for this gold-standard treatment.

Evidence is insufficient for the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for most medical indications.

New analysis from a WHO global expert committee on vaccine safety has found that, based on available evidence, no causal link exists between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The conclusion reaffirms WHO’s position that childhood vaccines do not cause autism.

As I look back on this year for the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP), I am deeply grateful for the achievements that have strengthened our association and advanced our shared mission.