News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

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

Authored by AAPP members Zoe Karavolis, Emily Leppien and Annette Percy, AAPP has released an FAQ to help clinicians address frequently asked questions regarding the use of buprenorphine and methadone in acute care settings.

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.

This publication highlights best practices for managing OUD during and after pregnancy and summarizes current evidence on treating perinatal substance use disorder.

Nearly 1 in 5 adolescents and young adults are turning to AI chatbots for advice when they’re sad, angry, nervous or stressed, according to a new study. The findings, from the research institute RAND, represent an increase from early 2025, when the nonprofit conducted a similar survey. At the time, around 13% of respondents said they used chatbots for such advice, but the share rose to 19% in the group’s latest survey in November.

"While working with the inpatient unit, I learned more about the transition of care to our outpatient Women's Mood Disorder clinic, the site for my ambulatory rotation during residency. My residency program director coordinated with the attending physician who oversaw the clinic, and I was immediately acknowledged as a member of the team. I was the first pharmacist to practice in this setting, which was a valuable experience in and of itself. I spent six months in the once-a-week clinic and grew to love my time there. To date, this was the most informative and rewarding patient care experience of my career..." Learn more about Caitlin Hughes' experience with perinatal psychiatry.

The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) is now accepting applications for the 2027 BPS Ambassador Program. Board-certified pharmacists interested can apply until June 12, 2026.

These findings emphasize the need for targeted, system-level strategies to improve access, adherence, and coordinated care for individuals with schizophrenia within Medicaid programs.

This report used literature review and data analysis to gain insight into existing research and the real-world impact by examining Medicare fee-for-service and Part D data from 2021 to 2023.

Join the Partnership for Part D Access for a virtual congressional briefing on June 18 at 12:00 pm ET to discuss the history and importance of the six protected classes policy, as well as the risks posed by restricting access to critical, lifesaving medications through formulary limitations and utilization management practices. The event will feature a multi-stakeholder panel representing patient, provider, and advocacy perspectives.

Get certified in Mental Health First Aid! The next course is on July 16 and is completely free to attend, courtesy of the AAPP Foundation. Seats are filling up! Save your spot today.

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.

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!

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

AAPP’s resource document on Methamphetamine Use Disorder provides information on screening, diagnosis, intoxication, withdrawal, treatment, co-occurring psychiatric disorders, special populations, and harm reduction strategies.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Tuesday announced a new clinical trial of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy, more commonly known as MDMA, to evaluate the safety and efficacy when treating current and former military personnel for severe mental health disorders including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder. The latest announcement comes on the heels of a strong federal government-wide push across multiple branches to study and, ultimately, lawfully recognize different modalities like MDMA, psilocybin, LSD and ibogaine. Legislation has been crafted on bipartisan levels in both the U.S. House and Senate to accelerate the pace for which the VA, Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can collectively give the green light for more widespread use in controlled settings.

AAPP partnered with Pharmacy Times to record a Pharmacy Focus podcast focused on emerging trends in psychiatric pharmacotherapy as presented at AAPP 2026, held April 19-22 in WA. Moderator Bob Haight, PharmD, BCPP, AAPP Annual Meeting Director and Past President, Clinical Application Series Chair Archana Jhawar, PharmD, BCPP, and Chelsea Di Polito, PharmD, BCPP, Annual Meeting Chair, shared insights gained on newer psychiatric medications and how these newer therapies fit into clinical decision-making, especially given considerations like cost, monitoring requirements, and patient-specific factors. The episode also explores cutting-edge research and practice challenges, including the growing interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists for substance use disorders, evolving strategies for clozapine monitoring following REMS changes, and advancements in long-acting injectable antipsychotics that improve flexibility, adherence, and patient-centered care. Tune in to hear the major takeaways and to see how AAPP’s Annual Meeting provides a valuable forum for translating emerging evidence into practical strategies that can be immediately applied in clinical practice.

This session reviews practical, evidence-based approaches for bringing overdose prevention and opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment into pediatric primary care. It will cover screening and risk assessment, brief counseling to reduce the consequences of drug use, naloxone distribution, and pathways for initiating and managing medications for OUD (including buprenorphine).

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.

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!

The FDA granted de novo approval for a neuromodulation device to treat symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The wearable, non-invasive device -- dubbed Modius Spero -- uses electrical vestibular system stimulation to target specific brain areas. It is prescribed and overseen by a healthcare professional as part of a comprehensive PTSD care plan.

This webinar will detail the benefits of SBIRT, the appropriate screening tools to use and how to use these to facilitate change-focused conversations.

The SSP-based model provided rapid access to buprenorphine prescriptions, but precipitated withdrawal was a common complication.

Public sentiment on Regulations.gov supports the United States Drug Enforcement Administration's proposal for cannabis rescheduling, though the majority views the proposed Schedule III classification as inadequate and supports further rescheduling or complete de-scheduling of cannabis.

This study offers novel data on opioid-related medication access for adolescents with illicit fentanyl exposure.

Formalizing FA assessment and diagnosis, and improving reimbursement mechanisms, may reduce potential health inequities between market-driven and publicly funded SUD treatment centers in FA treatment and referral resources.

This study's findings suggest that provision of in-jail MOUD could improve methadone uptake in the community.

Social anxiety and psychiatric concerns are salient barriers to attending a variety of MHG groups and to MHG involvement.

This randomized controlled trial provides the first evidence that a pharmacological intervention, buprenorphine, significantly sustains and enhances the antisuicidal effects of ketamine in MDD.

This review aimed to update current knowledge on causality and risk relationships to inform global and national comparative risk assessments for alcohol.

Dr. Austin Smith, PharmD, BCPP discusses the role of Psychiatric Pharmacists in the diagnostic process.

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!

Whether you’re actively seeking to fill a position, job searching yourself, or simply keeping an eye on new opportunities, AAPP’s new Career Center helps psychiatric pharmacists explore jobs, upload a resume, save positions, and compare cost of living across cities. #PsychPharm #Jobs

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!

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.

Someone you love may face both a mental condition and a substance use challenge. They deserve steady support, starting with you. When more is needed, help is available 24/7. Call or text 988 anywhere in the U.S. Learn more: 988lifeline.org #MHAM2026 #SeeThePerson

Mental illness and substance use disorders are common in correctional populations. Watch this video to learn about a psychiatric pharmacist's role in correctional healthcare.

The 2026 AAPP Outcomes Research Grants provide $15,000 each to support retrospective studies on bipolar, clozapine, and MOUD. Mark your calendar for the Q&A session June 30, 2026! Get your questions answered and learn how to advance your research. #PsychPharm

This toolkit provides a resource for recognizing, understanding, and managing episodes of agitation and forms of aggression encountered in clinical practice.

AAPP's newest policy brief addresses misinformation about the association between antidepressants and violence, emphasizing the safety and benefits of antidepressants for treating various mental health disorders.

Respectful communication about mental health is especially important during times of transition, including housing instability or reentry into the community. Compassionate words signal safety when people need it most. #MHAM2026 #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth

This article highlights state-level progress toward pharmacist reimbursement since the 2024 manuscript on this topic. A special thanks to the many AAPP members who assisted in the research and authorship of this manuscript which highlights expansion of pharmacist test-and-treat authority, new commercial coverage mandates, explicit Medicaid provider enrollment and reimbursement structures, and broadened scope-of-practice provisions tied to payment. Collectively, these developments reinforce the emergent bottom-up trajectory of pharmacist reimbursement reform and highlight the steady, incremental strengthening of pharmacist integration within state health systems.

This talk will provide a background on traditional kratom and an overview of the recent proliferation of novel, kratom-derived products. Industry marketing, confused media coverage, and dynamic government policy will be described, as all influence public health responses.

This paper introduces behavioral health, Medicaid, and public health agency leaders, administrators, managers, and policymakers to selected public child- and family-serving systems.

This systematic review and meta-analysis indicated a small association between antidepressants and ADHD or ASD.

CMS has formally acknowledged and encouraged the involvement of clinical pharmacists in medication management and deprescribing activities through team-based care models. In newly released billing guidance tied to Deprescribing Services Codes, CMS confirmed that pharmacists can contribute billable time through “incident-to” services provided under physician or non-physician practitioner collaborations. The announcement arrives as Secretary Kennedy undertakes efforts aimed at reducing unnecessary prescribing. For pharmacists already embedded in collaborative care models, this development represents more than billing clarification and signals a growing recognition of the pharmacist’s expanding clinical role in optimizing medication therapy. However, CMS has historically limited the codes pharmacists can bill incident-to physicians and non-physician practitioners, prohibiting service delivery for many patients. As such, AAPP has been collaborating with APhA and ASHP to fix the larger issue to allow pharmacists to submit codes through incident to mechanisms that reflect the complexity of care pharmacists are providing. More recently, we requested an audience with CMS to discuss this latest development in billing opportunities for pharmacists.

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

This study provides key insights into the resource/cost requirements for implementing and sustaining each A.S.K.-PrEP strategy.

Police stop-and-search was associated with elevated subsequent overdose risk among PWUD.

In this trial of healthy adults who co-used cannabis and alcohol, cannabis edibles combined with alcohol augmented driving impairment.

This review identified that ketamine treatment was associated with instances of elevated liver enzymes.

These data indicate a need to identify and disseminate successful hospital-based strategies to increase prescribing of MAUD.

This study calculated frequencies and measures of central tendency.

These results suggest that MOUD access in supportive housing should be expanding, which could require embedding addiction care into PSH teams, leveraging behavioral health touchpoints, and addressing persistent disparities.

This episode examines how pharmacy-based models are closing gaps in addiction care deserts, how pharmacists can strengthen interdisciplinary care teams, and why fair reimbursement for pharmacist services matters for sustaining care in the communities hit hardest by overdose.

Clinicians are rightly expected to disclose their gaps in knowledge or their inability to forecast an outcome. Yet emerging AI tools often cannot, or will not, do the same.

Dr. Joshua Holland, PharmD, BCPP, PLPC, talks about how psychotherapy techniques have advanced and can provide healing and help people meet their psychological needs.

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

Parents and caregivers are often the first to notice when something feels different. Changes in mood, sleep, appetite or behavior may signal a young person needs support. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #SeeThePerson

The National Institute of Mental Health is an excellent resource for broshures and fact sheets on mental health disorders for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Printed materials can even be ordered free of charge!

Findings from this study suggest that restrictive policies on antidepressant prescribing are unlikely to align with public sentiment and may risk exacerbating existing inequities in care.

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

AAPP's pharmacist toolkit on Xylazine is intended to highlight both the evidence base available as well as strategies of clinical decision making used by expert clinicians.

LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than a third of the rate of those who did not.

Symptom-based dosing decreased time to medical readiness for discharge compared with a scheduled opioid taper approach among infants cared for with ESC.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced efforts to curb psychiatric overprescribing at a MAHA Institute summit on mental health and overmedicalization. Per the press release, “HHS agencies are bringing together their collective expertise and aligning to evaluate prescription patterns for psychiatric medications, their benefits and potential harms, and elevate the role of nonmedication treatments and scalable, evidence-based solutions to improve mental health.” Read on to learn more about AAPP actions.

The incidence and risk elevation of incident mental disorders in cancer patients vary based on sex, cancer type, time since diagnosis and type of mental disorder.

Referring patients to behavioral health specialists for CBT and/or prescribing recommended pharmacotherapy with Collaborative Care Management can help to reduce patient morbidity and improve functioning.

The link between specialty-care-only policies and lower diversion and overdose risk is not supported by the reviewed literature.

These data indicate a need to identify and disseminate successful hospital-based strategies to increase prescribing of MAUD.

Actigraphy appears to be a feasible objective tool for sleep assessment in SUDs, though additional studies across diverse substances are needed.

Interactive sVMs can effectively dispense HR items and connect individuals to services, thereby having the potential to improve individual and public health. Contextual factors, such as location, may influence utilization.

Single-item patient-reported outcome measures are pragmatic tools for implementing measurement-based care in substance use treatment.

These results demonstrate substantial missed opportunities for MOUD treatment during pregnancy, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve evidence-based perinatal OUD care.

This cross-sectional study found a substantial increase in the percentage of individuals with OUD who received MOUD among almost all states.

Medicaid managed care plans located in Republican-leaning states were less likely to be subject to state requirements governing coverage and prior authorization of SUD treatment medications, with the exception of methadone, and were also less likely to align with requirements when imposed by states.

This SAMHSA advisory outlines evidence-based strategies to integrate physical and behavioral health services, improving outcomes, reducing costs, and enhancing quality of life.

Orphines are 10 times more dangerous than fentanyl and are showing up in street drugs within the US.

This study evaluated the efficacy of semaglutide once-weekly in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity.

This report examines how existing CIC programs operate, funding strategies used to sustain their work and offers insights to help strengthen and expand CIC models nationwide.

Findings of this meta-analysis suggest that ketamine may be considered an off-label treatment for those at risk of suicidal behaviors or those not responding to other treatments for depression.

In this large population based cohort, prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines or Z-hypnotics was not associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders in offspring.

AAPP member Farah Khorassani explains her vital role on the care team.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

Person-level characteristics were particularly strong in predicting motivation for and perceived access to daily nondrug rewards.

This study conducted a ‘mega-analysis’ integrating 11 independent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging datasets across five psychedelic drugs from research groups spanning three continents and five countries.

There is some evidence that dialectical behavioral/acceptance and commitment therapies, contingency management alone or with cognitive-behavioral therapy with motivation enhancement, N-acetylcysteine, cannabidiol or varenicline may facilitate abstinence, reduce use and/or support treatment completion for cannabis use disorder.

These findings highlight an increased prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents, which is linked to increased levels of depression, anxiety and a lower quality of life.

Even after accounting for correlated variables, onset of cannabis use during early adolescence is associated with increased likelihood of OUD and riskier forms of opioid use that increase vulnerability to overdose and mortality.

In this parallel-group randomized clinical trial, mirtazapine delivered in routine clinical practice reduced methamphetamine use in adults with methamphetamine use disorder.

BPS is requesting applicants to serve as examination item writers for the specialty certification in Psychiatric Pharmacy (BCPP) examination. If selected, your participation will consist of access to virtual training materials, as well as access to a web-based item authoring platform to draft and submit 5-10 exam items according to assigned areas of the examination content outline beginning in late May 2026. Applications are due May 2, 2026.

In this study, higher cumulative doses of methadone during the first 48 hours of care were associated with substantial reductions in the incidence of PDD.

AAPP joined ASHP and partnering pharmacy organizations expressing concerns about the recently revised charter for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In our joint statement, we offer key considerations to restore patient and healthcare provider confidence that the nation's vaccine recommendation advisory framework is credible, independent, and scientifically grounded.

This study evaluated the potential association between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and risk of autism using Danish nationwide registers.

Dr. Bob Haight, PharmD, BCPP, explains some of his tips to effective precepting.

This medication database provides important information on generic and brand name medications used in treating individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

Access valuable psychiatric treatment guideline and clinical pearl resources at AAPP

Psychiatric and neurologic illnesses are highly prevalent and are often suboptimally treated. Pharmacists who focus on psychiatric and neurologic diseases improve outcomes for patients with these conditions. This is important in the current health care environment as most patients with psychiatric or neurologic conditions continue to have unmet needs. Read this MHC article to learn more about the value of psychiatric and neurologic pharmacists as part of the health care team. We hope you will consider exploring psychiatric and neurological pharmacy for your career.

Momentum continued throughout 2025 in the areas of grant support, practitioner development, and sponsorship! View our 2025 Annual Report to see the impact. Thank you to the incredible donors who support this important work.

Collegiate Chapter Impact Grant recipients will share their grant-funded projects during the Collegiate Chapter Meeting on Sunday, 4/19! Join chapter representatives in the Cedar Ballroom from 4:45-5:15 PM Pacific Time. Presentations will not be livestreamed; however, they will be recorded and posted for those unable to attend live. Thank you to our donors for helping us continue this important grant program with your monetary gifts.

Thanks to generous AAPP Foundation donors and the AAPP Past Presidents' Destiny Fund, 33 PharmD students were awarded full, in-person student registration grants to AAPP 2026! Congratulations to each of the recipients and enjoy your time in Seattle!

In this year’s report, OCP celebrates its 30th anniversary, showcasing the Office’s contributions to the evolution of clinical pharmacology into a foundational pillar of drug development and regulatory review by enhancing efficacy and safety evaluations through rigorous, collaborative, and state-of-the-art approaches.

US adults likely have heterogenous views on addiction, and more research is needed to further understand how US adults conceptualize addiction.

In this study, SROM for OUD was associated with slightly higher treatment discontinuation risk than methadone but similar mortality risk, suggesting either medication may be appropriate alongside measures to support retention.

Stimulant-induced psychosis occurs in both therapeutic and nontherapeutic contexts but at vastly different prevalence rates.

While both PWUF and clinicians identified precipitated withdrawal as a major concern when initiating buprenorphine, it was just one of many barriers.

This paper provides an overview of SED, including the role of functional impairment in identifying youth with SED and the important developmental considerations.

The xylazine toolkit, intended to highlight the evidence base available and strategies of clinical decision making, was recently updated by AAPP member Sarah Thomason to include sections on regulatory status, laboratory testing and wound care.

National Volunteer Week coincides with AAPP 2026 in Seattle but we don’t want that to detract from celebrating our amazing volunteers. So, we are saying our thank yous a week early. Every year, approximately 215 members contribute their time and talent to AAPP as members of committees, the Board of Directors, task forces, and editorial boards. This doesn’t include the countless other members who write, speak, represent AAPP at meetings, and much more. Though we celebrate our member volunteers year-round, we want to give extra recognition and a thank you to our volunteers in advance of National Volunteer Week. Cheers to our AAPP volunteers!

AAPP joined numerous other Mental Health Liaison Group member organizations in expressing strong coalition support for the introduction and swift passage of legislation to remove the 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient psychiatric treatment for Medicare beneficiaries.

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.

This report provides a guide to publicly accessible data sources to support research and improve data-driven decision-making for individuals dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare.

State Medicaid expansions from 2017 to 2023 increased access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder at a time when fatal overdoses were continuing to climb, researchers wrote in JAMA Network Open. That means coverage expansions can significantly affect uptake of addiction medicine like buprenorphine. The findings could be important for state governments wrestling with reductions in federal Medicaid spending.

Dr. Yelena Lugin, PharmD, BCPP, provides tips on telehealth services.

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

The treatment of cannabis use disorder, special populations and co-occurring disorders as well as harm reduction strategies are also addressed in the toolkit.

The CDC and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) issued an advisory to notify the public about increasing reports detecting medetomidine in the illegal drug supply causing withdrawal syndrome. Medetomidine is used for sedation and analgesia in dogs but is not approved for human use. Medetomidine can cause sedation, bradycardia, and hypotension and stopping it after regular use may lead to severe withdrawal.

As AI chatbots become more widely used, questions are emerging about how they may affect mental health.

Fewer than half of outpatient facilities for substance use disorder accept Medicare, according to a new HHS report. But low reimbursement rates and difficulty finding mental health workers factor into clinics' ability to care for older adults who need behavioral health care, the report found.

These papers call on state leaders to refocus on SMI and serious emotional disturbances (SED) treatment and recovery— and to renew their commitment to system changes in improving whole-person health.

The primary outcome was change in Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) score.

Evidence suggests that patients who lose a primary care physician experience higher emergency department use.

Nicotine vaping is likely to cause lung and oral cancers, a comprehensive review of more than 100 studies has concluded. According to the analysis, human and animal studies, as well as cell experiments looking at the effects of chemicals found in vape liquid, all point toward carcinogenicity. Those studies, published since 2017, record "increasing concern", the researchers report.

These findings suggest that PAT is no more effective than TADs under equal-unblinding conditions for the treatment of depression and highlight the potential role of blinding integrity.

Further research is needed to better characterize kratom’s mechanisms of liver injury and to inform clinical decision-making and public health policy.

These findings provide evidence-based guidance for treatment duration, realistic expectation-setting, and individualized prognosis determination in cannabis use disorder recovery.

The primary study outcomes were ROI ratios and net profits after 3 years in operation.

The Veteran's Health Administration (VHA) is the nation's largest integrated healthcare system. Hear Traci Turner, Pharm.D., BCPP share her experience as an outpatient clinical pharmacist at the VA.

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

This white paper offers practical recommendations for health care leaders, policymakers, peer support programs, and individuals and families, and covers workforce development, program infrastructure, outreach, outcome measurement and policy reform.

Lessons from 10 FORE Grantees that have expanded access to prevention, treatment, and recovery supports in rural communities.

This Recovery Research Institute summary highlights a cross-sectional analysis of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data showing.

The current evidence base is not sufficient to support the use of cannabis for the treatment of mental health conditions and demonstrates substantial risks of adverse effects.

In this study, the volume of patients treated with buprenorphine increased after private equity acquisition, with minimal changes in the payer mix among these patients.

The colorful packaging and fruity flavors that make nicotine pouches appealing to adults also make them tempting — and dangerous — for kids.

The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced a new civil enforcement program to protect the confidentiality of SUD records for individuals under 42 CFR Part 2. This initiative allows for resolution agreements, monetary settlements, and corrective action plans aligned with HIPAA enforcement standards to address noncompliance and breach notifications.

Dr. Troy Moore, PharmD, MS, BCPP, discusses how to incorporate research into clinical practice post-residency.

AAPP joined 39 other organizations in supporting the POINTS Act. This Act addresses the gambling addiction crisis by allocating federal funding into a competitive, discretionary grant program under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The grant program will support States and Tribal entities in their efforts to establish, improve, or expand programs to prevent, screen, intervene and treat problem gambling and gambling addiction in the U.S. Utilizing 1/3rd of the existing federal excise tax on wagers paid by the gambling industry, the grant program will prioritize those populations most vulnerable to gambling addiction, including men, youth, Native Americans, servicemembers, and veterans. The POINTS Act allows funding for both community and statewide prevention, intervention, and treatment activities including providing specialized outpatient treatment, peer-support, awareness, and other evidence-based interventions to help those in need.

Burnout continues to affect a large portion of the workforce, impacting well-being, job satisfaction, and day-to-day life at work. The 2026 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll highlights how common these experiences are—and why support matters. The data also points to what employees say could help, including more access to mental health resources and training around stress and burnout.

A large, new study found that the stimulant methylphenidate, such as the drugs Ritalin and Concerta, may lower the risk of psychosis when prescribed to younger children with ADHD.

A growing proportion of antipsychotic prescriptions for older adults were written by nonphysician clinicians, reflecting shifts in the mental health care workforce and prescribing practices, cross-sectional data showed. From 2013 to 2023, antipsychotic prescription claims for Medicare Part D beneficiaries written by psychiatrists and primary care physicians (PCPs) declined annually by 3.2% and 2.6%, respectively (P<0.001 for both). Prescriptions from advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs), however, rose by 11.8% (P<0.001) each year, reported researchers.

Between 4.9 and 10.1 million people could lose Medicaid coverage in 2028 as the result of new work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks.

AAPP joined the American Society of Addiction Medicine, ASHP, and other healthcare associations in a letter to Representative Houchin encouraging revisions to H.R. 5629 which would increase overdoses and reduce access to evidence-based OUD care, especially in rural areas. We argue that, if enacted as currently drafted, the bill would result in more opioid overdoses, because fewer people would get methadone treatment for OUD, with no improvement in safety for our communities.

These findings emphasize the role of social support and integrated treatment in fostering recovery and inform the design of individualized university recovery programs.

PolySU was pervasive among young people entering AOD treatment.

The primary and key secondary outcomes were illicit opioid abstinence during pregnancy and the postpartum period, respectively, defined as the proportion of weekly collected urine samples negative for illicit opioids.

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

This commentary discusses how a sensitive and validated assessment is crucially needed to identify those at risk for intentional opioid overdose.

Toolkit on harm reduction provides tips and guideline summaries in the following areas: consequences of injection drug use, harm reduction services, activities, policies, stigma, potential barriers, professional/policy support, resources, and data sources.

Better days start here. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

AAPP supports the funding of federal programs directed toward tobacco cessation and outlines specific policy recommendations as to the federal funding programs critical to maintain for individuals living with mental health and/or substance use disorders.

AAPP is a member of a pharmacy‑based vaccine access work group composed of national pharmacy organizations. The work group is conducting a survey to gather insights into vaccination practices since June 2025. Feedback will support pharmacy organizations in their advocacy and education efforts. If applicable to your practice, please complete the survey, available through March 31, 2026.

Pharmacists play a variety of roles in academia: as administrators (e.g., deans, department chairs, etc.), educators, clinical practitioners, and researchers. Often a faculty member plays more than one role, depending on their track (non-tenure versus tenure) and department (pharmaceutical sciences versus pharmacy practice).

This review discusses mechanisms that contribute to negative outcomes after mTBI and hazardous alcohol use and to the development of AUD after mTBI.

AAPP supports access to evidence-based monitoring for youth prescribed antipsychotics and updates to child and adolescent psychotropic prescribing regulations.

As part of the planning for the future of DSM, the Biomarkers and Biological Factors Subcommittee of the Future DSM Strategic Committee was empaneled to begin to bridge the gap between psychiatry and neuroscience and move DSM toward a psychiatric nosological system informed by objective measures.

Survey data suggest that prevalence of cigarette smoking among U.S. adults declined 2023 to 2024.

Mental health = team sport. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

AAPP President Jolene Bostwick talks about the future and our new strategic plan.

This cohort study found that OPC opening was not associated with significant changes in local economic activity.

A meta-analysis of children and teens found social media use was tied to higher rates of depression, behavioral problems, self-injury, and substance use. (JAMA Pediatrics)

Rising temperatures could trigger over a billion additional "symptom-days" of anxiety and depression annually in the U.S., researchers projected. (Lancet Planetary Health)

Genetics play a role in risk of suicide attempt but do not fully explain the sex differences in incidence, a Swedish cohort study found. (BMJ Mental Health)

On March 19 from 4:00-5:30 PM ET NAMI will host this presentation to provide an overview of catatonia and discuss the various potential causes of catatonia, as well as the many different ways in which the syndrome may manifest.

Data suggest that prevalence of cigarette smoking among U.S. adults declined from 10.8% of the population in 2023 to 9.9% in 2024.

MHFA training in pharmacy professionals is an effective intervention to promote mental health support, increase awareness, reduce stigma, and equip participants to make linkages.

Dr. Taylor Nichols, PharmD, BCPP, explains how to embrace harm reduction.

In this cross-sectional study, US adults with IDDs experienced substantially higher rates of mental health conditions, treatment use, and cost-related barriers compared with those without functional impairments.

These resources provide practical toolkits and clinical guidance.

These findings provide a framework for the long-term evaluation of intervention programs and guiding health care resource allocation to reduce adolescent alcohol consumption.

Removal of transmucosal buprenorphine PA requirements for Kentucky Medicaid enrollees was associated with a significant immediate increase in buprenorphine dispensing for OUD treatment.

Emerging evidence suggests novel OAT induction strategies for fentanyl-related OUD are feasible and show a consistent direction toward positive clinical and safety outcomes.

NAMI has relaunched its #Vote4MentalHealth campaign for the 2026 elections. This nonpartisan campaign is part of NAMI’s long-standing efforts to help people across the country understand that voting and mental health are closely intertwined and find the resources and information they need to cast their ballot. NAMI urges voters to take the pledge to #Vote4MentalHealth, which is a commitment to do one thing: understand how your vote impacts mental health. After taking the pledge, people can learn about the issues, share why they #Vote4MentalHealth, register to vote or update their registration, request an absentee ballot, find their polling place and more — all at vote4mentalhealth.org.

Active theta-burst stimulation beat sham stimulation at reducing depression scores by week 12 -- but not by week 6 -- in people with late-life depression, a randomized clinical trial showed. (American Journal of Psychiatry)

While the majority of patients with first-episode psychosis respond to initial treatment with oral risperidone or amisulpride, clozapine appeared to be the best next step for non-responders in a sequential trial. (JAMA Psychiatry)

Stimulant prescriptions for ADHD surged in adults during the COVID pandemic, a Canadian study found. (CMAJ)

The new platform provides for analyzing adverse event reports.

The Stigma Unraveled/Addiction Unmasked interprofessional workshop prompted meaningful and statistically significant changes in participant beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge.

Policy interventions and pharmacist advocacy are needed to alleviate challenges.

CPPs provided MOUD care that was safe and effective and outcomes were comparable to physicians and nurse practitioners.

The pharmacist-led intervention more than doubled the pharmacologic treatment rate for AUD in primary care.

A dedicated Pain Management CPS with a focus on addiction medicine provides significant clinical and financial value in the inpatient setting.

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. This blog explores opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry.

This study's findings suggest an association between fluoroquinolones and increased risk of panic attacks.

Toolkit with tips and guideline summaries on opioid use disorder: screening, diagnosis, withdrawal, medications for treatment, overdose prevention education/treatment, special populations, co-occurring disorders, harm reduction strategies, and references.

Not boring science. Smart + creative. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

Psychiatric pharmacists can be effective members of the healthcare team because they treat the whole patient and understand medications beyond the scope of mental illness. Watch this video and learn more about the psychiatric pharmacy specialty!

Last fall, Washington and other Western states issued their own vaccine recommendations in a sharp rejection of federal policy that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has upended. And on Thursday, the Washington Legislature passed legislation to change state law so that vaccine coverage is tied to recommendations from the state, not a federal panel filled with Kennedy appointees.

AAPP joined the Advanced Professional Workforce Alliance (APWA) and other organizations to comment on the Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The letter expresses concerns regarding the proposed definition of “professional degrees” in relation to other graduate degree programs. The concern is that the proposed framework and definition of “professional degrees” does not encompass the range of programs that fit the professional designation. Additionally, AAPP believes the definition change may severely impact individuals being able to join the behavioral health workforce where staffing shortages already exist.

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. This blog explores opportunities in academia.

Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was consistently associated with reduced risks of developing various incident SUDs, suggesting a broad preventive effect across multiple substance types.

Psych pharmacists stand up for the unseen. That’s powerful. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

AAPP's newest member profile showcases psychiatric pharmacist impact through a psychotropic stewardship program demonstrating optimization of medication therapy for high-risk and clinically complex patients.

Kennedy has continued to spread misinformation and push politicised agendas at the expense of the country’s most vulnerable.

The AAPP Residents and New Practitioners Committee is pleased to provide a suggested reading list of the top references as a service and as a forum for member discussion. Consider these resources as a foundation for your reference library.

In our newest member profile showcasing psychiatric pharmacist impact, learn how Dr. Kesoma Holcomb worked with her health system to create an opioid and psychotropic stewardship program that continues to optimize medication therapy for high-risk and clinically complex patients who are medically ill and have co-occurring mental health and chronic pain conditions.

The toolkit outlines strategies for promoting early identification and intervention, improving access through service coordination and integration, and building workforce capacity to meet children’s behavioral health needs. It also provides an overview of key behavioral health services and models of care, along with resources to support state implementation of EPSDT requirements.

NAMI has worked with experts to create 23 flexible lessons about mental health literacy for middle school classrooms. Supporting early intervention is one of the best ways to address the youth mental health crisis. Learn more and ask your local schools to add mental health literacy to their curriculum.

A randomized clinical trial of 59 male participants with opioid use disorder found that those receiving 10 supervised yoga sessions over 14 days alongside standard buprenorphine treatment had achieved withdrawal stabilization 4.4 times faster than controls, with median stabilization occurring in five days compared to nine.

A study that surveyed college students tested whether alcohol and cannabis co-use and cannabis use characteristics (frequency and quantity) relate to different levels of heavy drinking. Heavy drinking was more common on co-use days than alcohol-only days (33% higher odds of heavy episodic and 52% higher odds of high-intensity vs. moderate).

A research summary from the Recovery Research Institute highlights a Phase 2 randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of heart rate variability biofeedback, a breathing-based intervention, in reducing stress-related craving and substance use among people in remission.

A majority of participants supported psychedelics as a treatment and would accept receiving psychedelics as a treatment.

New research published in JAMA Network Open found a correlation between China’s crackdowns on illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and the recent decline in U.S. overdose deaths, suggesting that Chinese regulatory enforcement may have disrupted the supply chain driving the opioid crisis.

In this survey study of clinician-reported problems initiating BUP treatment, clinicians working in high-volume noninpatient settings reported more problems initiating BUP in patients using fentanyl, and many reported changing their clinical practices in response to these problems.

Through this Consensus Statement, the Task Force identified circumstances in which the selective elimination of certain psychotropic medications may be clinically indicated.

The Brookings Institution released a white paper examining how the Drug Enforcement Administration’s quota and inventory controls impact certain drug shortages.

Three updated KFF analyses examine the latest trends in deaths from opioid overdoses, suicide and alcohol, using newly released final data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Psych pharmacists explain meds. Patients take control. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

The board of pharmacy specialties identifies pharmacists who are qualified for advanced practice based on rigorous standards. Learn more about the path to becoming a board certified psychiatric pharmacist (BCPP).

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. This blog explores opportunities in community health systems.

This free Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) guide provides webinars introducing CMM and helpful tools for implementing CMM.

Struggling ➝ stable ➝ thriving. Psych pharmacists make it happen. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

"Pharmacy school taught us how to manage complex pharmacotherapy, but it did not teach us how to budget, navigate major financial decisions, or invest. These are the financial lessons I wish I learned earlier in my career, because even a little awareness from the start can prevent a lot of stress later."

AAPP recently published a statement of support for plaintiffs in American Academy of Pediatrics et al. v. Kennedy Jr., et al. Login to read the support letter and to see all recent comment letters.

In AAPP's two new practice setting videos, Jacqueline Parizher, PharmD, reviews her role and impact as an outreach pharmacist working on the ground with individuals living with substance use disorders while Kesoma Holcomb, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, explains her role in combining internal medicine with opioid and psychotropic stewardship.

AAPP is pleased to announce an additional AAPP Student Chapter bringing the total number of student chapters to 48! University of Florida, advised by AAPP member John Markowitz, PharmD, is the newest student chapter. Congratulations and welcome to AAPP Collegiate Chapter at University of Florida!

"One of the most important lessons I have learned is that professional development does not depend on having a specific title or years of clinical experience but instead depends on early intention and curiosity."

These results suggest that overdose prevention centers are cost-saving upstream interventions to mitigate injection-related infections and hospitalizations.

In this retrospective analysis of a large EHR dataset, they found that following the elimination of the X-waiver, the incidence of new OUD diagnoses declined by 2%, while subsequent buprenorphine initiation increased by 14%.

These findings suggest that health systems can use this favorable incremental cost per quit and transparent cost estimation to promote wider implementation of the intervention.

CPE Monitor Plus is an upgraded feature within the ACPE CPE Monitor system that provides you with a more robust and personalized way to manage your professional development. It allows you to access your comprehensive CPE transcript on demand, receive proactive notifications about your license renewal dates, and helps you see how your completed CPE activities align with your specific licensure requirements. The Plus plan is $12 a year.

The report and webinar examine current approaches to integrating SUD prevention with physical health care at the state level including implementation, financing, partnerships, challenges, and support needs, particularly for adolescents, and where states are in the implementation of services. Expanding access to Preventing substance misuse, abuse, and addiction is one of the core strategic priorities for SAMHSA and aligns closely with the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

Pharmacist education includes patient assessment, differential diagnosis, laboratory testing, drug administration and prescribing.

This study found that barriers and facilitators to LDI completion were linked to five COM-B model components: physical capability, physical opportunity, social opportunity, reflective motivation, and automatic motivation.

Every brain = different. Psych pharmacists customize the treatment plan. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

Findings indicate that the male to female ratio for ASD has decreased over time and with increasing age at diagnosis.

The National Community Pharmacists Association has summarized the federal reforms to pharmacy benefit manager practices signed into law via the recent funding bill signed by President Trump. The measures are contained in a bill to fund the Department of Health and Human Services. The new law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” Medicare Part D contract terms, and gives enforcement authority; promotes transparency by allowing CMS to track payment trends to pharmacies and pharmacy inclusion in PBM networks, including a new designation of essential retail pharmacies; and prohibits PBM compensation in Medicare Part D from being tied to the manufacturer’s list price of a drug in an effort to reduce drug prices and save money for taxpayers.

Science that helps people. That’s the job of a psych pharmacist. #choosepsychpharmacy #pharmd #psychpharm #AAPP

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. Throughout the spring of 2026, this series will feature interviews with hiring managers in various types of settings.

High-dose antipsychotic use and APP was common in this U.S. state psychiatric hospital.

Since the FDA ended the Clozapine REMS last February, some clinicians have embraced new Delphi guidelines that reduce monitoring frequency—while access to the medication has remained limited.

A reanalysis of the data revealed errors and failed to replicate the results.

Thanks to generous AAPP Foundation donors and the AAPP Past Presidents' Destiny Fund, 33 PharmD students were awarded full, in-person student registration grants to AAPP 2026! Congratulations to each of the recipients.

This commentary explores implications for addiction treatment.

At the 9.6 g dose, iSTEP-N provided sustained therapeutic naltrexone exposure for 12 weeks with a favorable safety profile, while releasing less than one-fourth of its drug content.

Receipt of inpatient MOUD was associated with a statistically significant reduction in PDD among those with OUD and without evidence of MOUD before admission when compared with propensity-matched admissions which did not receive inpatient MOUD.

Policies supporting MAUD-providing facilities may be needed to address persistent gaps in access.

This toolkit provides tips and guidance in the following areas of Buprenorphine Initiation: Buprenorphine Treatment, Traditional Buprenorphine Initiation, Low Dose Overlap Initiation, Special Populations, Harm Reduction, Helpful Resources, and References

Psychiatric pharmacists can be involved in a number of clinical services involving therapy modification that is stated within a collaborative practice agreement with a physician. This may include initiating/monitoring/continuing/adjusting medications, injection services, device management, side effect management, and laboratory follow-up. These models can align incentives for patients, providers and payors that improve outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

Have you considered starting a new PGY-2 Psychiatric Pharmacy residency program at your facility but have no idea where to begin? Here are some considerations and starting points to help the process feel less overwhelming.

Check out AAPP's newest policy brief stating our support for the evidence-based treatment of autism spectrum disorder based on an accurate assessment of the available data.

AAPP issues policy recommendations supporting access to psychiatric pharmacy care for foster care youth. AAPP urges each state to include BCPP(s) on the foster care team and state DUR committees and urges CMS to provide best practice guidance to states.

Findings suggest that patient characteristics associated with buprenorphine initiation may differ by health care setting. However, retention among subgroups of patients appears similar across settings.

AAPP has recently released a summary of recommended policy actions to support access to trauma-informed care for all youth in foster care and access to psychotropics for those with co-occurring mental health conditions. Additionally, the recommendations call for updates to foster care psychotropic prescribing regulations. Policy recommendations urge that each state include BCPP(s) on the foster care team as well as on any state DUR committee. AAPP additionally urges CMS to provide guidance to states on best practices, including increasing support for collaborative telemedicine services. Please distribute this policy ask as you engage in your own advocacy.

Check out AAPP's newest policy brief stating our support for the evidence-based treatment of autism spectrum disorder based on an accurate assessment of the available data.

Findings suggest that patient characteristics associated with buprenorphine initiation may differ by health care setting. However, retention among subgroups of patients appears similar across settings.

These findings suggest that the US public continues to view opioid overdose as a serious and stigmatized condition.

Peer reviewing is not just for senior clinicians and academics. When you peer review, you are participating in an important gatekeeping role...and the endeavor is a worthy one.

AAPP joined with fellow members of the Pharmacy-Based Vaccine Access Work Group to support the importance of vaccines and the role of the pharmacist.

Understand common myths about nicotine and smoking cessation through AAPP’s toolkit.

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. Throughout the spring of 2026, this series will feature interviews with hiring managers in various types of settings.

This blog series by the Resident and New Practitioner Committee is targeted to psychiatric pharmacists seeking their first or a new position. Throughout the spring of 2026, this series will feature interviews with hiring managers in various types of settings.

Dr. Amy VandenBerg, PharmD, BCPP, discusses how to manage drug-seeking behavior.

Check out AAPP’s newest toolkit dedicated to dispelling myths about nicotine and smoking cessation. A special thanks to authors Danial Chowdhury, Michael Kotlyar, Annette Percy, Raeschell Williams, and Zoe Karavolis.

This pharmacist toolkit provides quick tips on an overview, HCV medications quick references, drug interactions of Hepatitis C Virus treatments, and references.

New data are emerging, but by no means definitive, that alcohol consumption and binge drinking among adults in the United States (US) have begun a recent decline just in the past 2 to 3 years.

The concept of addiction, traditionally confined to substances such as drugs and alcohol, has expanded to encompass behavioral patterns such as compulsive eating

The AAPP Foundation continues to proudly support the AAPP Outcomes Initiative with a second $250,000 research grant. This 2025 grant has been awarded to study the impact of care by psychiatric pharmacists on the treatment of depression. The project, “Alternate Prescriber Type - Depression Management (Trial APT-DM): Impact of Psychiatric Pharmacist on Major Depressive Disorder in Primary Care,” will be led by Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Nathaniel Rickles (UConn School of Pharmacy), Dr. Wilner Samson (Hartford Healthcare), and Dr. Charles Caley (Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). Congratulations to the researchers! And thanks to all psychiatric pharmacists for their work treating patients with depression!

Here are 10 recent scientific developments.

Learn the workings of a career in academia from Shari Allen, Pharm.D., BCPP!

Despite strong training, new psychiatric pharmacists will encounter challenging trainees throughout their career. Here are 5 guidelines to prevent rotation problems.

Current evidence does not indicate a clinically important increase in the likelihood of autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, or intellectual disability in children of pregnant individuals who use paracetamol as directed, supporting existing recommendations on its safety.

Founding member and Past President Julie Dopheide, PharmD, BCPP has been named the recipient of the Warren E. Weaver/Richard P. Penna Award from the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. This award is for individual persons recognized for having made outstanding voluntary contributions to the advancement of BPS board certification of pharmacists. As noted by Tien M.H. Ng, PharmD, BCPS, FHFSA, FACC, FCCP, “Dr. Dopheide was among the leaders who worked toward getting psychiatric pharmacy approved as a recognized BPS specialty back in the early 1990’s,” and she has “maintained her certification continuously, and has enthusiastically promoted the value of board certification locally and nationally.” Congratulations Julie!

These findings add to the growing international literature highlighting how drug policy contradicts expert assessments of drug harms across nations.

Varenicline has demonstrated efficacy in supporting e-cigarette cessation, whereas the current evidence for NRT and cytisine remains insufficient to draw firm conclusions.

In this randomized clinical trial including 436 participants with moderate to severe opioid use disorder, both the 100-mg and 300-mg maintenance doses improved opioid abstinence and were well tolerated without any new safety signals. In post hoc analyses, the 300-mg dose performed better than the 100-mg dose among participants who used fentanyl daily, 14 times or more per week, or both.

In this survey study, the majority of 396 clinicians surveyed (72.0%) reported encountering problems initiating buprenorphine treatment among patients using fentanyl in the past year, and 67.3% reported modifying their standard induction protocols.

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

AAPP member Kelly Lee has co-authored an important work in AJHP on National trends in pharmacist and pharmacy technician suicide: Incidence and associated features.

AAPP Board member Danielle Stutzman, PharmD, BCPP, represented psychiatric pharmacy in expressing concerns about study's potential to perpetuate stigmatization of vaccines and, in particular, ASD.

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

Dr. Sadie Roestenburg, PharmD, BCPS, talks about managing Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Roni Caryn Rabin, The New York Times

Psychiatric clinical pharmacists are integrated in a multidisciplinary model of care to provide expertise on psychotropic medications and optimize pharmacotherapy in a variety of mental health conditions. By leading medication education groups, pharmacists can connect with their patients and discuss important medication pearls to improve adherence and decrease adverse events.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Evidence is insufficient for the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for most medical indications. Clear guidance from clinicians is essential to support safe, evidence-based decision-making.

This study used our peer-reviewed model of the US opioid crisis to demonstrate how a falling at-risk population combined with probable plateauing of the mortality rate produced the recent decline in US overdose deaths.

ED-initiated XR-BUP was associated with substantial reductions in opioid and polysubstance use during the first week post-discharge, supporting its role in early overdose risk mitigation and highlighting its value as an ED-based intervention for opioid use disorder.

In this cohort study including children prenatally exposed to SSRIs, additional exposure to SSRIs through breastfeeding was not associated with reduced IQ scores.

Despite strong evidence, there is a large implementation gap in both high-income and LMIC settings.

The analysis directly compared the effectiveness of different strategies on the rate of relapse either with or without psychological support.

Psychiatric clinical pharmacists are pivotal in the care of patients with substance use disorders to advocate for and initiate medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) and opioid use disorder (MOUD). Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to counsel patients on MAUD/MOUD, provide naloxone on discharge, and further facilitate transitions of care by ensuring affordability of these medications and confirming continuity via outpatient follow up.

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.

Integrating mental health clinicians into primary care expands access to quality mental health care. In this setting, psychiatric pharmacists provide brief psychotropic medication management in collaboration with the primary care physician.

Sophie Robert, BPharm, PharmD, BCPP discusses provider concerns and assumptions about patients' use of psychotropics during pregnancy.

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.

Pharmacists practice forensic pharmacy when they care for patients with psychiatric diagnoses who have also been convicted or charged with a crime. The practice settings often include county jails, or state/federal prisons/hospitals or correctional facilities. Pharmacists care for patients in the justice system by reviewing their medication records, making objective/subjective assessments with rating scales and patient interviews, initiating/modifying medication doses, and providing medications-related patient education. Forensic psychiatric pharmacists also can serve as expert witness for lawyers, work for regulatory agencies, or work as a freelance consultant.

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.

Dr. Kelly Gable, PharmD, BCPP, gives tips on starting a new practice.

Approximately 13 percent of counties had more than half their population living in an area facing a pharmacy shortage last year, according to the National Community Pharmacists. The new data coincides with the NCPA and USC’s launch of the first public mapping tool tracking pharmacy shortage areas and closures over time by state, county and congressional district. AAPP, other pharmacy groups and academics warn that the closures, sometimes the only points of personalized care in communities, could make it more difficult to manage chronic disease, access vaccinations and strain the pharmacy profession.

Dr. Andrew C. Hean, 2023 Defining the Future grant recipient, and his co-authors Jamie Kneebusch,Casey Tiefenthaler, and Kelly C. Lee, recently had their research published! Dr. Hean said, "Thank you again to the foundation for making this research possible, a project that was quite special to me!" Congratulations to this research team, and thank you to our donors who make grants like this possible! You can now read and download the article online.

Long-time AAPP member and the current AAPP Foundation President-Elect, Clayton English, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, BCGP, FAAPP, is part of a team of SoP faculty researchers at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy that has been awarded a $200,000 Tier 3 pilot research grant from the UW Population Health Initiative. The team’s work aims to address the rise in opioid overdose deaths, increasingly driven by fentanyl. This work is vital to public health. Help us congratulate Dr. English!

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

Psychiatric pharmacists can function as medical affairs professionals assisting with analyzing and educating providers on clinical data and development of insights that can affect the medical strategy to optimize medications in a company’s psychiatric pipeline. Their training also translates to roles in educating payors on clinical and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) data that may affect their access algorithms as well as in marketing where on-label data and insights can be leveraged to optimize the success for a company’s marketed psychiatric product.

“Given this landscape, psychiatric pharmacists play a more important role than ever in patient care. Our knowledge, experience, and understanding of other disease states allows us to support the whole patient.” - Dr. Bostwick

Dr. Megan Ehret, PharmD, MS, BCPP, explains how to balance your employment expectations with your personal career goals.

The AAPP Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 11th annual Defining the Future Research Grant Awards: Saira Pacheco, PharmD Student, Western University of Health Sciences; Seo Young Park, PharmD, PGY2 Resident, Montefiore Nyack Hospital; Jack Smith, PharmD Student, Wayne State University; Amber Tran, PharmD, PGY2 Resident, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital; Mina Wolfe, PharmD, Consultant Pharmacist, North Carolina Association of Pharmacists. Read the full press release!

At VA Healthcare Systems, psychiatric pharmacists manage medications for military Veterans in outpatient clinics. Under a broad scope of practice (including controlled substance prescribing), psychiatric pharmacists meet one-on-one with Veterans to design personalized treatment plans that optimize symptom control while minimizing side effects.

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

Dr. Raeschell Williams, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, explains how to discuss illicit or non-prescription drug use with patients.

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.

Richard J. Silvia, PharmD, BCPP discusses ways to communicate risks vs benefits of OTCs in patients with anxiety.

Collaborative practice agreements permit clinical pharmacists to provide expanded healthcare services to patients. Learn more in this 11-minute video.

Carolanne Wartman, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP (she/her) discussing asking, advocating, and creating inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ patients.

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 Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, provides comprehensive health care to around 2.8 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) across 37 states belonging to 574 federally recognized tribes. The federal government established a special relationship with these tribes in 1787 to provide health services and raise their overall health status to the highest level.

Kaitlyn Q. Weslosky, PharmD, BCPP discusses why we overcommit, how to avoid overcommitment, and how to manage existing commitments in this What I Wish I Knew article. #WIWIK #residents #newpractitioners #psychpharmacy

Outside of conversations around suicide, disease progression, death, and dying are not commonly discussed in psychiatric practice. Palliative care for patients with mental illness is not typically considered beyond the context of terminal medical illness. While patients with SPMI (severe and persistent mental illness) would not routinely be considered terminally ill, many individuals who live with SPMI do not achieve adequate control of their symptoms and live with significant, distressing, and impairing problems.

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

As a growing specialty working in a profession where there are exponentially more and more patient care needs, the importance of attracting and training pharmacy students to the field has never been greater. AAPP members are critical in supporting this growth through precepting and educating students and/or by advising an AAPP Collegiate Chapter. This special edition of the AAPP Perspective demonstrates the impact of Collegiate Chapters and the numerous ways members are incorporating students into their practice, not only by educating them in psychiatric pharmacy but also in enhancing their understanding of those living with mental illness.

Julie Thiel, BS Pharm, PharmD shares questions to ask before accepting a job and what to do if you discover the job is not a culture fit.

Thanks to our partnership with Current Psychiatry (CP) published through Quadrant Healthcom Inc., another Savvy Psychopharmacology article was featured in the January 2020 edition of Current Psychiatry. The goal of this section is to present an evidence-based discussion to guide safe, effective prescribing of psychotropic medications. Eva Studer, MD, Tawny L. Smith, PharmD, BCPP, and Smitha Murthy, MD, authored this article on Valproic acid-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

The AAPP Annual Meeting typically hosts presentations on topics related to psychiatric pharmacotherapy. Expert speakers are often BCPPs, psychiatrists, or advanced psychiatric providers. This year’s session on Contraceptive Care in Psychiatry was unique in that it provided members education on a non-psychiatric topic that is nonetheless frequently encountered in psychiatric practice environments. Given patients with mental illness often face barriers in accessing multiple treatment services, psychiatric pharmacists need to be knowledgeable on how to initiate contraception for patients and/or engage in discussions with patients and prescribers on how to confidently determine the optimal contraceptive option based on an individual’s treatment goals. Familiarity with the advantages and drawbacks of different contraceptive methods enables pharmacists to consider multiple factors when choosing the most suitable options for patients with psychiatric conditions.

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

As I prepare the President’s column for this edition of the AAPP Perspective, I am fresh out of a virtual fall retreat with the AAPP Board concentrated on our strategic plan progress. As a reminder, our current strategic plan was approved in late spring of 2021. It is regarded, by far, as the most aggressive strategic plan AAPP has ever adopted and launched us into an entirely new area of profession advocacy. With your help as volunteers and members and your amazing work in your day jobs, AAPP has been scaling these proverbial strategic plan hills and mountains with great passion ever since.

Ashley Maister, BS, PharmD, BCPP provides insights on the layered learning model, a way to differentiate instruction to accommodate for different skills and abilities.

What another exceptional year for our AAPP student chapters! Fifty-two collegiate chapters submitted an annual report presenting an overview of their 2022-2023 academic year. The Membership-Marketing Subcommittee of the Student Committee reviewed the reports for highlights of the year, noting significant community service, campus activities, research, and professional growth. Throughout the year, student pharmacists exhibited a great passion for mental health awareness in their selection of community service and chapter activities on campus. The chapters also maintain a commitment to professional development in the field of psychiatric pharmacy.

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.

Long-time AAPP member and the current AAPP Foundation President, Clayton English, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, BCGP, FAAPP, is part of a team of SoP faculty researchers at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy that has been awarded a $200,000 Tier 3 pilot research grant from the UW Population Health Initiative. The team’s work aims to address the rise in opioid overdose deaths, increasingly driven by fentanyl. This work is vital to public health. Help us congratulate Dr. English!

AAPP is continuing its membership in the Get the Medications Right Institute (GTMRX) in 2025. GTMRX is focused on advancing recognition among providers and payors of the importance of systematic, evidence-based approaches to medications and their rationale use and the urgent need for payment and policy reform to advance access to and payment for person-centered CMM services.

As we enter into the season of pumpkin spice, football, and falling leaves, it’s my pleasure to reach out and say hello as your new AAPP President. On behalf of your AAPP Board of Directors, I’d like to take a few paragraphs to reflect on some of the progress we made this summer.

"As pharmacists, we have opportunities every day to be an advocate for our patients and a champion for our profession." Learn how Dr. Tanya Fabian is advocating for psychiatric pharmacists! #WIWIK #psychpharmacy #AAPP #advocacy #yourvoicematters

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.

"MSLs provide an outstanding resource for the latest information on a pharmaceutical company’s scientific publications in journals and poster presentations." Read more about this mutually beneficial relationship! #WIWIK #psychpharmacy #AAPP

AAPP Foundation Impact Grant recipients, the VCU Collegiate Chapter, collaborated with dental and nursing students to compile 272 dental hygiene kits. The kits were distributed along with educational handouts to patients at local substance use disorder clinics and a retail pharmacy, and patients reported learning about possible adverse drug reactions with buprenorphine that they did not know much about previously. Great work, VCU Collegiate Chapter! Hear about the project by viewing the recorded presentation.

AAPP Foundation Impact Grant recipients from the UNC Collegiate Chapter provided opioid overdose preparedness training to students, faculty, and staff at UNC! Participants demonstrated increased confidence in their knowledge. Congrats on a successful project! To hear about the project, watch the presentation recording on the Foundation website.

The 2024 AAPP Summit, a 2-day virtual event, will be held on October 10th and 11th. The Summit features 8 evidence-based sessions on emerging areas of practice and contemporary issues in psychiatric pharmacy. This interactive, virtual conference is co-sponsored with the Society of Pain and Palliative Care (SPPCP) and provides knowledge and tools to improve the comprehensive care of patients with mental health disorders. Psychiatric and pain pharmacists will find this content valuable regardless of the practice setting. Register now and join us to earn 10 hours of ACPE and BCPP recertification credit! Two grant supported sessions will also be available for an additional 2 hours of ACPE credit.

"Understanding the differences [of laws and interpretation of the laws] allows us to not only better serve our patients but also create avenues for advocacy." #WIWIK

The AAPP Foundation continues to promote mental health education to psychiatric pharmacists, residents, and students nationwide by sponsoring Mental Health First Aid training. AAPP Director of Continuing Professional Development Beth DeJongh, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, is the lead faculty member for the training and is joined by AAPP member Emma Palmer, PharmD, BCPS, BCPP, Associate Professor at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati.

AAPP is launching two new BCPP Preparatory Products in June 2024 to help psychiatric pharmacists better prepare for the BCPP exam: a Developing Effective Test-Taking Skills webinar and a Psychiatric Pharmacy Specialty Mock Exam. These products will complement the popular Psychiatric Pharmacotherapy Review Book and the BCPP Prep Series as methods of preparing for the BCPP exam.

"Combatting self-doubt and recognizing imposter syndrome can be a difficult. As a learner in any stage of your career, it is important to recognize your self-worth and keep striving to build off your experiences" #WIWIK

AAPP is proud to host psychiatric pharmacists, psychiatric pharmacy residents, and pharmacy students of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexual orientations at AAPP 2024. AAPP understands how the environment in the host state of Florida may be concerning to conference registrants and members and, as such, AAPP has taken many steps to prioritize the attendee experience and wellbeing.

"The key to having a positive volunteer experience is selecting an area that you are passionate about so that you...have the most enjoyable and impactful experience." #WIWIK

"I was highly motivated to obtain my DEA to improve the efficiency of my workflow and practice with greater independence..." #WIWIK

Calling all subject matter experts! AAPP is encouraging all members to self-nominate for a presentation or author opportunity in AAPP’s upcoming events and products. Mark your submission as final by the March 27, 2025, deadline.

Psychiatric pharmacists can use their expertise in other industries, including continuing medical education (CME)! Learn more from Dr. Amber Lemons.

The 2023-2024 academic year has been another outstanding period for our AAPP collegiate chapters, showcasing their dedication to promoting psychiatric pharmacy and mental health awareness. Forty-seven collegiate chapters submitted annual reports, highlighting significant community service, campus activities, research, and professional growth. The 2023-2024 year also saw 64 in-person attendees to the annual AAPP meeting, with sixteen posters presented across eleven schools of pharmacy.

AAPP’s most recent strategic plan is chock full of goals surrounding the expansion of opportunities for psychiatric pharmacists. An aggressive and big assignment for sure, with no one solution that achieves the goal of growing awareness and inclusion of psychiatric pharmacists into treatment teams and health systems. After significant brainstorming and research, a plan emerged (see figure) in late 2021 that involved numerous committees and task forces conducting complimentary work simultaneously to achieve the end goal of increasing demand for psychiatric pharmacists.

The minutes of the November 19, 2024, FDA joint advisory committee meeting have been posted. As previously reported, this meeting was called to discuss reevaluation of the Clozapine Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) and possible changes to minimize burden on patients, pharmacies, and prescribers while maintaining safe use of clozapine. With the joint FDA advisory committees overwhelmingly voting to eliminate the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS), AAPP has continued its advocacy on the REMS in conjunction with partners such as the American Psychiatric Association, Angry Moms, the Schizophrenia and Psychosis Alliance, and more. AAPP has earmarked March 18 at 10 AM central time for a webinar to update members on our advocacy and to discuss practice implications should the REMS be eliminated. More information and registration forthcoming!

While many people who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) recover within weeks or months of their injury, others experience long-term symptoms and disabilities. This public workshop will explore the state of knowledge regarding TBI as a chronic condition and discuss strategies to improve care and outcomes for people living with its longer-term consequences.

AAPP apparel and drinkware are available for purchase! Choose from a selection of polos, sweaters, jackets, and more, and enjoy $10 flat rate shipping for your entire order. The store will close March 6th, and all orders will be processed and mailed at that time. Order now and proudly wear your AAPP-branded merchandise at AAPP 2025 in Salt Lake City and year-round!

We thoroughly enjoyed hosting many of you at AAPP 2024 in Orlando. The only downside is that we won't see many of you for another full year! In this edition of AAPP Perspectives, join us in reliving a successful AAPP 2024 while also looking forward to AAPP 2025, to be held April 25-28 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Researchers confirmed that antidepressants lead to a significant reduction in generalized anxiety disorder symptoms in the short term.

The Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (JACCP), is creating a themed issue titled “Breaking the Cycle: Advancing Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery”. Submissions (due 7/15/25) may focus on clinical, economic, social, implementation, or other forms of outcomes; innovative team-based care models; and other opportunities to advance the care and treatment of patients with substance use disorders.

View results of the AAPP 2024 Residency Program Director Survey. Responses represent 2/3 of PGY2 psychiatric resident slots currently available.

Generations are often used to define an age cohort of people, typically spanning a 15–20-year period.1 The current pharmacy workforce is composed of three generations; Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), Generation X (born 1965 to 1980), and Millennials (born 1980-1996). The next generation to enter pharmacy school and the workforce is Generation Z (Gen Z) born 1997-2012. As Gen Z becomes a significant part of our profession, we must adapt precepting strategies for these learners to align with their preferences to promote learner success.

Viana Salinas, PharmD, has tips for pharmacy trainees working in an interdisciplinary team! As a current trainee, both personal and professional growth are key to avoid undermining my potential and success. Attaining growth in both simply cannot be taught, but must be achieved through learning experiences that an individual is presented with. An opportunity for a trainee to be a part of an interdisciplinary team not only allows for trainees to come into their own but showcases the importance of their role in contributing to the delivery of quality patient care. Although my interdisciplinary team experience has stemmed from being in an acute inpatient psychiatry setting, I am confident that I as well as other trainees, can apply interdisciplinary skills to any practice setting.

My teaching philosophy is deeply influenced by my mother, who dedicated her life to her students. From her, I learned that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion. I strive to create a nurturing environment where each learner feels supported, recognizing that they are unique individuals with their own stories, backgrounds, and challenges.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the months and years pass. Seems like yesterday we were at AAPP 2024 with many of you, and now we are in the final weeks of 2024 fresh off our November Board retreat where we evaluated goals, strategies, and measures of success for your association. During the retreat, we set our eyes on the future and acted to evolve our strategic planning processes to be more fluid and continual to support quick reaction and shifts as needed. Early next year, we will start to introduce the components of this iterative strategic planning process which you will play a critical role in as AAPP members.

As a growing specialty working in a profession where there are exponentially more and more patient care needs, the importance of attracting and training pharmacy students to the field has never been greater. AAPP members are critical in supporting this growth through precepting and educating students and/or by advising an AAPP Collegiate Chapter. This special edition of the AAPP Perspective demonstrates the impact of Collegiate Chapters and the numerous ways members are incorporating students into their practice, not only by educating them in psychiatric pharmacy but also in enhancing their understanding of those living with mental illness.

Opioid overdose deaths remain a prevalent issue throughout the United States, with over 81,000 reported deaths due to opioid overdose in 2023 (CDC, 2024). There is an urgent need to spread awareness regarding drugs of abuse and counterfeit drugs, as well as to reduce harm in our communities. The AAPP-University of Southern California (USC) student chapter has established our NaloxoneSC Program to do just that.

We know you are living and breathing the rapidly changing health care and pharmacy environment we operate within, and we urge you to plan for how you and your organization can best position psychiatric pharmacy. As AAPP enters this strategic planning cycle and begins to consider future directions and actions, we will be working to define the role of psychiatric pharmacists in these areas so that others don't do so on our behalf. As we traverse this journey together, be prepared to share your thoughts and opinions with Board members via surveys and/or focus groups that may be scheduled.

Completion of a quality improvement or research project is a common requirement of all ASHP-accredited pharmacy residencies. While many residents seem to dread this aspect of postgraduate training for various reasons, it stood out as one of my favorite components. Over and over, my patient encounters energized me with ideas of innovations I could explore to improve the quality of psychiatric care. That excitement helped me realize my goal of integrating research into my career as a clinical psychiatric pharmacist. I leaned on my mentors to gain a better understanding of how to accomplish this and ultimately chose to pursue a research fellowship after finishing my PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy residency. I’m delighted to share some of the insight I learned along the way.

Complete your volunteer interest profile/application on or before November 19! AAPP is truly a member-driven organization with 1 in 6 members volunteering for AAPP in some capacity. From now through November 19, AAPP is encouraging members to sign up to serve on one of over 25 committees, councils, editorial boards, and/or task forces. These opportunities range from well-known committees like our Program Committee to more narrowly focused task forces such as our Employer Resource Center Task Force.

AAPP community leaders, committees, and taskforces have been hard at work planning the next AAPP Communities Week, a 3-day virtual event taking place October 21-23, 2024! This event is exclusively for AAPP members, and you’re invited!

Though the introduction of telehealth into modern medicine was inevitable given recent technological advancements, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a health care system-wide change to prioritize telehealth care modalities to minimize health and safety risks for patients and providers alike. This dramatic shift led to lasting changes in patient care delivery models and, as a result, impacted trainee/learner rotations. Telehealth, along with hybrid or fully virtual rotation models, are here to stay. This new reality comes with its own hurdles for preceptors to navigate in order to ensure successful rotation experiences.

Congratulations to Elayne Ansara, Dana L Chiulli, Tera Moore, Mark Schneiderhan, Megan Ehret, Christ Herndon and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!

At the AAPP 2024 Annual Meeting, Dr. Chelsea Di Polito, PharmD, BCPP presented “The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown of Psychotropic Stewardship Implementation: A Focus on Antipsychotics”. Dr. Di Polito is the Assistant Director of the Peer Review for Mental Health Drugs Program through the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and works in the Peer-to-Peer program with Medicaid to reduce unnecessary antipsychotic prescribing to children and adolescents. She was a member of the Psychotropic Stewardship Taskforce and a co-author of AAPP’s paper on psychotropic stewardship.

Over the past 9 months, the AAPP Board has completed a thorough review of the association’s site selection processes and the event landscape. Through this process, the Board gained valuable input, learned how significantly event site selection is heavily influenced by market forces, and realized the delicate balancing act involved in weighing available/bidding venues with overall value, convenience, and member experience to find the best option available.

As experts in psychiatric pharmacy, few disorders keep us up at night wondering how to tackle treatment for our patients quite like insomnia does. There are so many factors to consider when choosing non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments for these patients. We also have those tough cases where first and second-line options have been exhausted and we just don’t know how best to manage this patient. Insomnia can be one of those unsuspecting difficult disorders to treat, especially for those who are treatment-resistant or are part of a population that has even more considerations to think about. Because of this, the Program Committee invited our resident expert on the matter, Dr. Megan Maroney, to untangle the intricacies of treating insomnia.

Congratulations to Michelle Geier and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!

AAPP hosted psychiatric pharmacists, psychiatric pharmacy residents, and pharmacy students of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, genders, and sexual orientations at AAPP 2024. Aligning with our core values, AAPP partnered with Social Offset to make a positive impact in Orlando by supporting local nonprofit organizations.

How quickly a year comes and goes! It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a full 12 months since I assumed the role as your President. As I prepare to hand off the reins to Incoming President Michelle Geier on July 1st and reflect back on the year, it’s fun to think about what has been accomplished. The AAPP Board of Directors has been busy and has engaged in activities that are likely to impact AAPP’s trajectory into the future.

Almost 1 out of 5 mental health providers will experience patient loss to suicide in their career, and, although many providers will note this as a career-defining moment, those clinicians may not receive support in navigating patient suicide loss. The AAPP Foundation sponsored the presentation “Living Through Loss- Navigating Loss by Suicide as a Clinician-Survivor” by Dr. Julie Cerel, Professor of the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, and Director of the Suicide Prevention and Exposure Lab (SPEL), to educate the AAPP membership on what it means to be a “clinician-survivor”, to identify appropriate postvention strategies for suicide loss, and to describe the impact that suicide loss may have on professional practice.

The June Issue of AAPP Perspective will revisit a successful AAPP 2024 in early April in Florida with reflections on sessions and speakers. Annual Meetings are also all about updating members on all of the activities occurring throughout the organization from strategic priorities to new products to advocacy. This edition of the AAPP Perspective will overview all of the exciting things in the work as well as update you on the business of AAPP as your home association.

Research has shown time and again that as social beings we are designed to be part of a community, a tribe, a group of humans that we can call “our people.” I have tribes of people in all aspects of my life, with AAPP being one of them and one of my most valued. Thanks to the work of dozens of volunteers, the AAPP staff, and the Board of Directors, the AAPP Annual Meeting offers the blended opportunity to expand our knowledge and horizons through education and research but also to connect and expand our community.

With the formation of the Commission on Innovation and Advancement within AAPP, we have seen growth in the number of AAPP papers published in our very own Mental Health Clinician as well as other high-impact journals. The topics are tightly aligned with our strategic goals as outlined in our strategic plan. While some of our newest additions are highlighted below, check out all of the other important publications over the last few years under our AAPP papers web page.

Today’s rapidly changing health care environment requires flexibility, fluidity, and responsiveness. As the home of psychiatric pharmacy, AAPP strives to stay ahead of this ever-evolving landscape to serve members, the profession, and ultimately, the patients our members care for. Though AAPP has a thorough, member-driven strategic plan providing strong direction, it is monitored and tweaked as needed to adjust or pivot in this dynamic environment. One method recently employed by AAPP to identify and prepare for change was an environmental scanning session.

The lead off goal in AAPP’s strategic plan is a lofty and important one: Establish the BCPP credential as the practice standard in psychiatric pharmacy and expand professional opportunities for BCPPs. Since no one particular activity will achieve this, the Board and strategic planning committee crafted several objectives that flowed from this priority goal. The development of the AAPP Vision Paper and the Employer Resource Center (ERC) are examples of several of the objectives that have been realized to support this goal.

AAPP’s Forum on our Future held during AAPP 2024 and available to members as a recording, reported on the major initiatives occurring within AAPP. With a very full agenda, reflections on AAPP’s financial health were not able to be included and, as such, are overviewed in this article.

Congratulations to Kelly Gable, Suzanne Harris, Kelly Lee, Rosana Steavenson, Jonathan Leung, Mary Accomando and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!

Happy New Year and welcome to our January AAPP Perspective featuring articles commissioned by our Resident and New Practitioner Committee around the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Take this opportunity to learn from your peers as well as hear from AAPP President Amy Werremeyer about AAPP's top 5 mission critical AAPP New Year’s resolutions for 2024.

Pharmacy education plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of health care professionals. As pharmacy educators, it is our responsibility to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all learners, regardless of their background or experience. Inclusive learning refers to teaching practices that are equitable and accessible for all learners.1 Inclusive teaching practices ensure that every learner has the opportunity to participate, pose ideas, construct knowledge, see personal connections to the topic, and feel welcomed into intellectual discussions.

In 2023, AAPP increased its efforts in terms of outreach and engagement with legislators, regulators, and partner organizations and weighing in on issues impacting the membership and outlined in the 2023 Health Policy Agenda. As the new year begins, we look back on the many advocacy activities AAPP was engaged in last year with the expectation that 2024 will be action packed and full of opportunity to educate and promote the vital work of psychiatric pharmacists.

Improving mental health equity is a daunting topic to consider. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work involves acknowledging the current state as being unacceptable. And being such a vast issue, one can feel at a loss as to what can be done to improve it. When seeking concrete, actionable steps for improving equity in your community, the essential word is “community”. Taking care of our neighbors is how we start to change the world; finding systems and solutions that work on a small scale is a path forward to adapting and figuring out how those solutions can be implemented at incrementally larger and more complex levels.

Congratulations to Jennifer Bean, Julie Dopheide, Vicki Ellingrod, Ian McGrane and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!

Telehealth is defined by the Health Resources Services Administration as "the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, health administration, and public health.” These technologies can include the internet, video conferencing, store-and-forward imaging, media streaming, and land and wireless communications.1

Welcome to our January AAPP Perspective featuring articles commissioned by our Resident and New Practitioner Committee around the topic of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Since DEI is critically important and one of the primary drivers in the AAPP strategic plan, I am excited to learn from my peers who have authored featured articles.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) encompass the social conditions shaping individuals’ lives including where they are born, grow, work, live and age. This complex framework significantly influences not only one’s health, but also their overall well-being and quality of life.1 These SDOH are commonly grouped into five distinct domains.

Customized, Energizing, Unique, Targeted—these are all adjectives used to describe the AAPP Annual Meeting. The opportunity to participate in this high quality, practical event is now available for 2024. Join us April 7-10, 2024 in Orlando, Florida to experience cutting-edge keynotes on transforming mental health care, the ethical and practical application of psychedelic treatment, and the impact of gun violence on mental health as well as targeted, concurrent programming on the treatment management of insomnia, borderline personality disorder, illicit substance, and so much more.

Anxiety disorders share features of persistent and excessive worry and can interfere with many daily activities. Approximately 19.1% of United States adults had an anxiety disorder in the past year and the lifetime prevalence is as high as 31%. Anxiety disorders are often treated with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) are the first-line treatment approach for anxiety disorders but are not effective for all patients, have a slow onset of action, and can be associated with intolerable adverse effects.

We are thrilled to announce the 2024 Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 7-10, 2024, at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, a secluded oasis situated perfectly southwest of downtown Orlando. The Omni Orlando provides a secluded resort environment perfect for education and networking. AAPP 2024 is a perfect opportunity to refocus on your career, connect with colleagues, and to come away refreshed with tangible practice ideas and recommendations.

In an era where technology is a necessary part of our day-to-day, it often feels like we can’t thrive without our phone and the many applications that make it personal to us. Thanks to digital therapeutics (DTx), phones have become an important component of treatment. Mental health DTx are application-based programs which aid patients in navigating treatment for their mental health disorder(s). Available applications cover diagnoses ranging from insomnia to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder to various substance use disorders.

A burgeoning mental health crisis is evident in the United States, despite the country’s dedication of significant human resources and spending on mental health care and research. Effectively responding to this crisis is impeded by the dominant framing of mental ill health through the prism of diagnostic categories, leading to an excessive reliance on pharmacological interventions that are delivered by specialists. This crisis is further exacerbated by a scarcity of widespread promotive, preventive, and recovery-oriented strategies coupled with a failure to leverage diverse resources that may already be available within communities.

Psychiatric pharmacy preceptors often encounter pharmacy trainees on rotation who may not initially share a strong interest in psychiatric pharmacy, which can undoubtedly be challenging. How can we keep these trainees engaged throughout the rotation? It’s worth noting that many students may not fully grasp the close integration of general medical conditions with psychiatric disorders. To address this, we should find creative ways to emphasize the medical aspects that align with the student’s areas of interest.

My all-time favorite comment from a student evaluation would have to be: “this rotation did not scar me for life.” This particular student found themselves on my inpatient acute psychiatry rotation as their final Advance Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotation, randomly assigned to them by their college of pharmacy. This student had no particular interest in psychiatric pharmacy and admitted to feeling nervous due to “horror stories” they had heard from classmates who had completed similar rotations at the state mental hospital and their perception of serious mental illness (SMI) from the media. This is a scenario I often find myself in as an APPE preceptor for an inpatient acute psychiatric pharmacy rotation.

Primary care providers prescribe almost 80% of antidepressant prescriptions and see approximately 60% of people being treated for depression in the United States.1 There is typically limited support from specialty services for this type of prescribing in primary care.

AAPP community leaders, committees, and taskforces have been hard at work planning the next AAPP Communities Week, a 3-day virtual event taking place December 11-13, 2023! This event is exclusively for AAPP members, and you’re invited!

To improve your experience and support new learning strategies, AAPP is launching a new learning platform later this year. AAPP.org is expected to be offline for the transition December 1-11, 2023. While most of the web site experience will remain familiar, key enhancements will be made.

As burnout continues to tear through the medical community, it is clear that pharmacy is not immune. Therefore, strategies to manage and prevent burnout should be a crucial part of training new health care professionals and maintaining experienced ones. Considering the Oath of a Pharmacist specifically states “I will consider the welfare of humanity and relief of suffering my primary concern,” we have an ethical obligation to care for the wellbeing of the professionals providing care to our patients. We know, however, that intention and effective implementation are very different.

Congratulations to Deanna Kelly, Clayton English, Alicia Sasaki, Lucas Hill, Ian McGrane, Richard Silvia, and all the other members making an impact in psychiatric pharmacy!