News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

AAPP's newest member profile showcases psychiatric pharmacist impact through low barrier outreach showcasing how pharmacists can deliver medications and  psychiatric and substance use disorder care to underserved individuals.

Mental health conditions are medical conditions and people living with them are more than a diagnosis. This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, let’s lead with understanding. Learn more: https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health #SeeThePerson #MHAM2026

If you missed any of the previous Resident Journal Club presentations or would like to revisit a session, recordings are available for you to listen and review at your convenience. Once registered, you can access the recordings, presentations, and article links on the Journal Club page.

Planning to sit for the BCPP exam? We've got resources! #BCPP #AAPP #examprep #psychpharmacy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Auvelity this week for the treatment of agitation in adults with Alzheimer's dementia. The extended-release tablet is the first FDA-approved medication for this condition that is not an antipsychotic.

While there has been an increase in funding for and use of AI in health care in recent years, public opinion on AI’s role in providing accurate health information remains mixed.

The findings of this study suggest no increased risk of long term adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes among children with prenatal exposure to buprenorphine versus methadone, further supporting buprenorphine as a safe treatment option for opioid use disorder during pregnancy.

Evidence suggests that the use of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes supports cigarette smoking cessation and reduction among individuals who smoke cigarettes regularly.

AAPP opposes the SAMHSA policy change to prohibit the use of federal funds for the purchase of “fentanyl test strips or any other substance test kits intended for use by people using drugs.” Test strips are an essential component of overdose prevention interventions. Access AAPP’s Policy Statement “The funding and delivery of harm reduction services” to support your advocacy.

AAPP has issued a statement opposing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) policy change to prohibit the use of federal funds for the purchase of “fentanyl test strips or any other substance test kits, including xylazine and medetomidine test strips, intended for use by people using drugs.” Restricting access to this tool risks reversing progress in overdose prevention at a time when synthetic adulterants continue to drive morbidity and mortality. Evidence supports the importance of clinicians, first responders, and individuals having access to test strips as an essential component of overdose prevention interventions. Access AAPP’s Policy Statement “The funding and delivery of harm reduction services” for further information and to support your own advocacy in this area.

Over a 5-year horizon, the treatment strategy initiating with paliperidone emerged as a favorable LAI option, providing the highest QALY gains at comparable or lower costs than the other LAI-initiating strategies.

In our newest member profile showcasing psychiatric pharmacist impact, learn how Dr. Jacky Parizher works as an outreach pharmacist providing low barrier treatment for opioid use disorder.

This new proceedings of a workshop summarizes emerging scientific insights into brain-body communication pathways, and the implications for therapeutic development, public health, and overall well-being.

I was given the amazing opportunity to co-lead a platform presentation with Dr. Alexa Flood at the RX and Illicit Drug Summit (RX Summit) in Nashville. Through the support of the AAPP Ambassador Program, we were able to present to nearly 700 attendees and lead the second-most attended presentation of the conference. With 4 days of programming and 2165 attendees, we are confident that this impressive attendance allowed us to bring great visibility to this important topic and the psychiatric pharmacist's value as a member of the substance use disorder treatment team.

BPS received a petition to recognize Pharmacogenomics as a BPS specialty certification and has opened the public comment period. The comment period will close on June 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

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.

Joinpoint regression was used to examine mortality rates for opioid-only, opioids with a stimulant, opioids with benzodiazepines, among racial/gender groups to measure temporal trends in age-adjusted overdose mortality due to polysubstance-related overdose.

In this case series, researchers describe outpatient DTI outcomes.

This series of papers calls on state leaders to refocus on serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbances treatment and recovery and focuses on providing updated information and guidance on SMI and SED and renewing efforts for systems-level changes.

Sometime in your career, you'll have to say no. Read more from Dr. Andrea Beall about how to professionally say "no" while leaving opportunities open for the future.

This paper is part of the Technical Assistance Coalition’s Refocus and Renew: Moving Towards Health series—a 10-paper collection guiding state leaders on SMI and SED treatment, recovery, and whole-person health.

In this cross-sectional study using contemporary data and methods, post-2018 Medicaid expansions were associated with substantial increases in buprenorphine treatment, particularly in high-need states operating under newer prescribing regulations.

A qualitative study of adults aged 65 and older in Southern California found that older medical cannabis users reported frequent and chronic use, widespread self-experimentation due to a lack of clinical guidance, and substitution of cannabis for other medications.

These results indicate the potential of PrR to capture gradual improvements in quality of life and reflect recovery progress.

A survey of U.S. behavioral health agency officials from every state and the District of Columbia.

Alcohol and drug addiction can cause many harms. This Research in Context feature looks at research into the causes of addiction and new ways to treat it.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) expanded its list of prohibited harm reduction services to exclude drug testing strips in new guidance documents. The updated guidance prohibits test kits that can be used to test for the presence of fentanyl or xylazine in drugs, which were explicitly allowed in a July letter. The new guidance also clarifies that federal funding can’t be used to operate overdose hotlines whose primary purpose is “facilitating illicit drugs use by providing people using drugs a virtual or telephonic companion while they are using drugs.”

We were so glad to have the opportunity to recognize our Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award and Early Practitioner Award recipients at #AAPP2026. The next awards cycle starts July 1. Take a look at the available awards and start thinking about who to nominate!

Exams can be daunting. Let us help! Register for the Developing Effective Test-Taking Skills webinar to sharpen your skills. #BCPP #examprep #psychpharmacy #AAPP

It's been just over a week since the 2026 Class of AAPP Fellows was officially installed during #AAPP2026. Let's give this group one more round of applause for an incredible achievement!

This member resource of treatment guidelines includes anxiety and related disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, medication-induced movement disorders, schizophrenia, seizure disorders, sleep-wake disorders, and substance use disorders.

Substance use disorders are highly prevalent among patients with mental health conditions. Troy Moore, Pharm.D., M.S., BCPP shares his experience in the management of substance use disorders within the Veterans Health Administration.

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!

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!

Findings highlight the importance of policy and funding mechanisms to ensure the long-term viability of MHUs.

Mental health conditions are medical conditions and people living with them are more than a diagnosis. This #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, let’s lead with understanding. Learn more: https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health #SeeThePerson #MHAM2026

AAPP extends our sincere thanks to the sponsors of AAPP 2026. Your partnership helped make this event possible and supports our ongoing efforts to advance the field of psychiatric pharmacy.

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.