News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

Stand out by achieving the highest honor in psychiatric pharmacy by applying for AAPP Fellowship. Applications for FAAPP consideration close 10/1/2026.

Learn all about Antipsychotic Long-Acting Injectable Preparation, Administration, and Storage! This is one of six modules in our complimentary Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources.

Recognize change-makers who have impacted patient access to care and/or the profession of psychiatric pharmacy through their advocacy with policymakers and/or decision-makers. Nominations close 10/1/2026.

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!

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.

This FREE 4-hour course translates the Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering into practical strategies for safer tapering. The course includes interactive, case-based activities centered on real-world clinical scenarios to help learners practice guideline implementation across diverse populations. It offers 4 hours of ACPE credit and is available until 5/19/2029.

Learn all about naltrexone and buprenorphine, two substance use disorder long-acting injectables, in this complimentary program! This is one of six modules in our Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources.

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.

Nominate living legacies for the Saklad Award. Recognize a lifetime of impact & excellence by nominating a senior psychiatric pharmacy practitioner who has achieved a level of professional distinction.

Dr. Jeff Bishop, PharmD, MS, BCPP, FCCP, explores alternative career pathways in psychiatric pharmacy.

You are invited to join us for the 6th Annual AAPP Summit, Oct. 1-2, 2026! This two-day, interactive, virtual conference provides knowledge and tools to improve the comprehensive care of patients with mental health disorders. Explore the session topics and plan to attend live.

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

Learn all about Antipsychotic Long-Acting Injectable Pharmacology and Dosing in this module! This is one of six modules in our complimentary Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources.

Calling all psychiatric pharmacist rising stars. Nominate yourself or others for the AAPP Early Practitioner Award designed to recognize future leaders within AAPP and Psychiatric Pharmacy. Nominations close 10/1/2026.

Studying for the BCPP exam? Test your knowledge with our 150-question mock exam! #psychpharmacy #BCPP #AAPP #BPS #boardcertification

These free articles are intended to provide advice from experts for students, residents, and new practitioners.

Advancing Patient Care Award application window is now open. Let’s recognize excellence in increasing patient access to high quality mental health care.

Over 2000 participants have completed our Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Join the ranks and start today! This grant-funded activity is offered complimentary and participants gain access to numerous LAI resources along with 6 educational webinars.

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.

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.

Dr. Rosana Steavenson, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP discusses setting goals, using your values to inform goals, and setting professional goals in a non-academic setting.

There is a shortage of psychiatric pharmacy providers, and patients have unmet needs that can be filled by these individuals. AAPP's position paper describes the expertise and skills of psychiatric pharmacists and the associated positive outcomes for patients with these disorders. This paper also outlines barriers to the provision of services by psychiatric pharmacists and presents action items aimed at effecting change. Read this position paper to learn more about the value of psychiatric pharmacists as part of the health care team. We hope you will consider exploring psychiatric pharmacy for your career.

Missed the live webinar? "Pharmacists Must Lead Again: Making Clozapine TDM Standard Practice" was presented on July 15, 2026, and the recording is now available to watch anytime. Registration remains open, and the webinar is free for AAPP members.

Learn all about Antipsychotic Long-Acting Injectable Adverse Effects, Mitigation Strategies, and Monitoring! This is one of six modules in our complimentary Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources.

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

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

Access valuable psychiatric treatment guideline and clinical pearl resources at AAPP

Get a better understanding of LAIs and LAI use in this webinar: Introduction to Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics and Patient Selection. This is one of six modules in our complimentary Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources!

Dr. Rachel Bauer, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, shares about assessing suicidal ideation, limiting access to high-risk medications, patient education, self-reflection, and grieving loss.

This pharmacist toolkit on benzodiazepine taper includes populations at risk for complications, screening and diagnosis, benzodiazepine withdrawal, treatment, special populations, harm reduction, clinical pearls, authors experience, and references.

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!

Approximately 60% of depression is treated in the primary care setting. Psychiatric pharmacists can utilize their knowledge and training to assist primary care providers in treating mental illness. Watch this video to learn more.

The CURESZ Foundation (Comprehensive Understanding via Research and Education into SchiZophrenia) founded by Bethany Yeiser and Dr. Henry Nasarallah has assembled a Clozapine in Schizophrenia Expert Panel (CLOSZE). The goal is to assist individuals living with schizophrenia and/or caregivers in finding a clinician who can assist them in trying clozapine. AAPP encourages psychiatric pharmacists to sign up for the registry so that patients/caregivers can outreach to establish ongoing care.

Protect people. Protect communities. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

Earn up to 5.5 ACPE contact hours during this on-demand, seven-part educational series! Webinars are immediately accessible. Register and start today!

Toolkit on Alcohol Use Disorder with quick tips and guideline summaries: Screening/Diagnosis, Alcohol Withdrawal, Maintenance Treatment of AUD, Special Populations and Treatment, Co-occurring Disorders, Harm Reduction Strategies, Resources and References.

Curious about LAIs? Need more training? Register for our free Psychotropic LAI Training Program! All registrants get access to 6 recorded webinars with ACPE credit, the LAI pocket guide, LAI administration videos, and an LAI administrative toolkit. Register today and get immediate access.

Consider referring patients to Mental Health America (MHA) for mental health support. Explore the MHA website to view available resources!

Dr. Smitha Murthy, MD, explains what mindfulness is, why it's helpful, and how to practice it.

Pharmacists can play an instrumental role in the administration of psychotropic long-acting injectable (LAI) medications (antipsychotics, naltrexone, buprenorphine). We designed this program to train pharmacists, nurses, and other health care professional interested in administering and/or learning more about LAIs with the goal of reducing barriers and increasing patient access to these important medications.

This toolkit on urine drug screens provides reasons for unexpected results, expected metabolites for opioids with confirmation testing, evaluation of urine, and potential positive results with immunoassays and detection time in the urine.

Learn all about building a long-acting injectable practice in this complimentary program! This is one of six modules in our Psychotropic LAI Training Program. Register today and get access to the full program and LAI resources.

AAPP provides an up to date listing of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacy Fellowships. Take a look at available opportunities!

This study examined purity of fentanyl samples and estimated the typical daily oral milligrams of morphine equivalent (MME).

Expand availability to clozapine for those living with schizophrenia. Register now for the CURESZ Foundation Clozapine Panel!

This Pharmacist Toolkit on Addressing Stimulant Shortages is intended to provide an evidence-based guide for thoughtfully converting from one stimulant product formulation to another. Download the toolkit today! #psychpharm #toolkit

Dr. Allison Beatty, PharmD, BCPP, explains how to establish an LAI clinic.

AAPP's Psychotropic LAI Training Program is back and full of updates! This grant-funded educational activity is offered complimentary and includes access to 6 webinars and LAI resources like a pocket-guide, administration videos, and more. Register today and help us share this program with others that would find it valuable.

Mark your calendars for this upcoming webinar: "Pharmacists Must Lead Again: Making Clozapine TDM Standard Practice" which is available for free to all members. Register now!

As I write my first presidential column, I find myself reflecting on the journey that brought me to this role—the patients during my APPE at the San Antonio State Hospital who opened my eyes to why psychiatric pharmacy matters, the mentors who challenged and inspired me as a student, resident, and throughout my career, and the dedicated volunteers and staff who make AAPP's work possible. All of these experiences have taught me that progress is bigger than one person and that we build on the work of those who have come before and those working alongside us to move the profession forward.

These results add to a growing body of evidence that CB1 neutral antagonists can attenuate the rewarding properties of opioids while sparing their therapeutically desirable antinociceptive effects, providing support for further investigation of CB1 neutral antagonists as possible treatments for OUD.

In this study estimating the effects of reducing federal funding for SSPs, the findings suggest that mortality will increase among persons who inject drugs during the 5 years after loss of funding.

Psychotherapy, including cognitive behavior therapy and motivational interviewing, offers short-term benefits; however, its long-term effectiveness is uncertain.

Adults with CUD seem to receive less stigma compared to adolescents with CUD, while stigmatizing attributions are produced less often when people have more contact with cannabis use and CUD.

In this study of hospitalized adults with OUD, treatment of opioid withdrawal with short-acting opioids exhibited a dose-dependent association with reduced hazard of early patient-directed discharge.

Very low certainty evidence suggests that, among people with opioid use disorder who have undergone withdrawal and wish to remain abstinent, a substantial percentage are willing to initiate naltrexone with marked early discontinuation.

Electronic screening alerts coupled with provider education increased the provision of medications for adolescents at risk for opioid-related harm.

Alcohol consumption, including at what may be perceived as “moderate” levels, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks.

The mock exam is composed of 150 questions based on the content domains and knowledge statements included in the BPS content outline. Register today and practice, practice, practice!

The Drug Enforcement Administration is taking steps to temporarily ban supplements containing a synthetic version of kratom. The agency said it plans to classify an addictive psychoactive compound called 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, in the same category as heroin and LSD — drugs that are illegal to buy or sell. This temporary scheduling action does not apply to botanical kratom products that contain naturally occurring 7-OH below the specified threshold. Instead, it targets synthesized products and those containing elevated concentrations of 7-OH as outlined in the temporary scheduling order. DEA believes these substances pose an imminent threat to public safety given their effects are highly unpredictable. Once the temporary scheduling orders take effect, the manufacture, distribution, sale, and possession of covered 7-OH substances will become subject to criminal, civil, and administrative provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.

These findings provide important reassurance regarding the safety of indicated paracetamol use during pregnancy.

Avoiding difficult conversations can lead to stress, reduced engagement, and low morale. Dr. Maria Blaze shares important tips to help you navigate.

There are 50 Pharmacy schools across the country that have AAPP Student Chapters, and more are joining every year! Check out the AAPP website for a list of existing chapters. Think about reaching out to a nearby chapter to collaborate on an upcoming activity, or for ideas on activities that could be done within your own organization.

Learn how psychiatric pharmacists implementing psychotropic stewardship in youth increases safety, follow up, and coordination of care while reducing health care costs.

The Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) recently convened national pharmacy organization leaders, including AAPP Incoming President Suzie Harris and Executive Director Brenda Schimenti, for a full day meeting focused on “Increasing Access and Improving Patient Care Outcomes with Technology” to examine how technology, policy, and communication can be leveraged to strengthen patient care across settings. Throughout the day, participants explored real world models and national strategies in three core areas: rural health transformation, health information technology and interoperability, and the critical role of pharmacists as trusted messengers in today’s healthcare environment. The meeting concluded with a structured “Takeaways and Next Steps” discussion, during which participants identified key commitments and areas for follow up work.

Last week, SAMHSA issued an advisory and Dear Colleague letter outlining how pharmacists can support expanded access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). It describes expansive opportunities for pharmacists to integrate MOUD treatment into their practices, support collaborative and team-based care, maintain and expand the ordering of MOUD, and address barriers to providing OUD treatment services in pharmacies. AAPP is working with fellow national pharmacy associations to encourage state pharmacy association leaders to aggressively pursue legislative initiatives in their states to enable expansion in pharmacist MOUD services.

This 2-hour webinar focuses on developing appropriate techniques for answering standardized questions more accurately, identifying common issues in testing that may be hurting your performance, and analyzing your testing performance to improve accuracy, pacing, and endurance. Level up your test-taking skills!

This free collection of essentials provides resources, references, and clinical pearls for practitioners beginning to practice in psychiatry.

A new study in JAMA tracking nearly 28,500 opioid overdose survivors found that 8.6% died and 21.2% had another overdose within a year of an emergency department visit.

SAMHSA’s new advisory addresses cannabis use disorder across the lifespan, including during pregnancy.

A landmark trial published in The Lancet found that once-weekly semaglutide, the medication marketed as Ozempic, significantly reduced heavy-drinking days among people with alcohol use disorder and obesity.

H.R.1 will require states to conduct Medicaid eligibility redeterminations for the expansion population every six months beginning in 2027, doubling the current renewal frequency.

This Introductory Guide for Families highlights common experiences of family members who are navigating mental health and/or substance use treatment and recovery supports with their loved ones.

About 1 in 8 young adults ages 18 to 25 have had suicidal thoughts or made plans or attempts to end their life. Among them, white young people are much more likely to access any sort of mental health treatment than their Asian, Black, or Latino peers, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics.

Co-authored by AAPP member Zoe Karavolis, PharmD, MPH, BCPP.

If only there were more time in a day. In this video, Azita Alipour, assistant professor, shares guidance on time management for AAPP members.

Tianeptine or “gas station heroin” is readily available and a public health concern. Access this toolkit focused on mechanism of misuse, clinical presentation, and management of acute intoxication and withdrawal among other timely topics.

Screening for gambling disorder and other psychiatric conditions could help mitigate related harms.

This study developed a quantitative analytical method to measure the blood concentration of xylazine and its metabolites, fentanyl and its metabolite, and medetomidine and its metabolite.

The present findings of this meta-analysis underscore the importance of evaluating a continuum of outcomes rather than focusing solely on abstinence in RCTs.

This publication aims to evaluate the current evidence on BZD tapering and outline key research recommendations.

This publication is the result of two years of rigorous research, surveys, and interviews. It provides valuable insights into what makes children's needs complex and offers practical guidance for better understanding and supporting them.

Widely known as "gas station heroin," tianeptine is illegal or unapproved for medical use in the U.S. but readily available in unregulated convenience stores and online. AAPP and author Sarah Thomason are providing an important toolkit addressing tianeptine’s mechanism of misuse, clinical presentation, and management of acute intoxication and withdrawal among other topics. Check out this timely member resource today.

Trauma-focused CBTp is safe, highly acceptable, and effective in people with co-occurring psychosis and PTSD.

This study found credible evidence that daily cannabis use is a contributory cause of psychosis.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved another over-the-counter (OTC) intranasal naloxone product, Rextovy, a 4 milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose. Consumers may directly purchase this product without a prescription in places such as pharmacies, convenience stores, and online.

Telehealth utilization increased 10.1% across the U.S. from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first three months of 2026, a new report from Fair Health found. Telehealth utilization, measured as a percentage of medical claim lines, increased from 5.01% of medical claim lines in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 5.51% in Q1 2026. The relative increase was 12% in the Midwest, 11.8% in the Northeast, 9% in the South and 8.1% in the West, Fair Health data indicated.

How about some trivia? How many meetings does a chapter need to hold each year to maintain its status as a recognized AAPP collegiate chapter? The answer to this and many other chapter requirements can be found in the Student Chapter Formation Manual from the Student Chapter Hub.

Phenibut is sold as a supplement but has a high potential for abuse and dependency. Access this toolkit focused on mechanism of misuse, clinical presentation, and management of acute intoxication and withdrawal among other timely topics.

Eliminate confusion about the use of buprenorphine and methadone in acute care settings by accessing an FAQ resource addressing the most common questions and scenarios.

Practice, practice, practice! The 150-question mock exam lets you test your knowledge, pacing, and endurance before sitting for the BCPP certification exam. #BCPP #AAPP #examprep #psychpharmacy

Despite their importance as first-line options for OUD treatment, confusion remains regarding their use in acute care settings, especially when patients seek care at institutions that do not have opioid treatment program (OTP) licensure. AAPP members and authors Zoe Karovolis, Emily Leppien, and Annette Percy have developed a go-to resource addressing frequently asked questions regarding the use of buprenorphine and methadone in acute care settings. Check out and bookmark this timely member resource today.