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Use AAPP Advocacy Tools to Make Your Voice Heard

Grassroots advocacy can be one of the most influential tools that a profession can employ to bring issues to the attention of legislators at all levels from state to federal government. Policymakers must have input directly from those affected by a certain issue so they are aware of the needs in their communities and understand fully the ramifications of changes in policy. AAPP has provided a suite of tools and issue briefs to support you in your grassroots efforts whether at the state or federal level.

Tips for BCPP Examination Preparation

Every person’s journey to preparing for and achieving the Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) credential is unique. However, hundreds of BCPPs have shared tips and techniques that assisted in their success. Customize the tips below to your background and situation. Good Luck!

Delivering Collaborative Care by Obtaining a DEA License

Obtaining a Controlled Substance Registration Certificate (DEA license) was encouraged by my site in order to help better serve our patient population. There are many practice settings where this would be useful for a pharmacist. Currently I work in an outpatient mental health clinic, where I work collaboratively with a variety of health care providers including psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, and nurse practitioners. Having this certification means I can use the full scope of my knowledge and apply it to practice. Potentially this could work well in other collaborative settings including inpatient treatment, depending on the role of the pharmacist.

Continuing Professional Development for Psychiatric Pharmacy Residents and New Practitioners

One of the most important elements to advancing the profession of pharmacy is the commitment to lifelong learning. However, the delivery of continuing education has experienced relatively little change in the past 50 years in comparison to the changes we have seen in the profession of pharmacy.1 Traditionally, continuing education has been delivered through formal training with the learner motivated by the need to meet predetermined credits/hours set by the state boards of pharmacy or the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). Over the last several decades, new methods of delivering education to pharmacists and other health professionals have been proposed and integrated in some areas.

Featured AAPP.org Resource: Practice Profiles

AAPP maintains nearly a dozen member profiles showcasing the impact of psychiatric pharmacists in various roles and practice settings. We encourage you to use these profiles as you advocate for psychiatric pharmacy with your employer and/or with external policymakers. Outreach to info@aapp.org if you have a practice impact story to tell as well! 

Thanks to Corporate and AAPP 2025 Sponsors

AAPP extends our sincere thanks to the sponsors of AAPP 2025. Your partnership helped make this event possible and supports our ongoing efforts to advance the field of psychiatric pharmacy.

Congratulations to AAPP Award Winners!

AAPP recognizes psychiatric pharmacists who have made significant contributions to the profession and to our organization and profession. Each winner was recognized during AAPP 2025. Review the press releases to learn more about these accomplishments.

AAPP 2025 Activities Sponsored by the AAPP Foundation

The AAPP Foundation Board of Directors is looking forward to the 2025 AAPP Annual Meeting! Our booth will be on Level 4 outside the Regency Ballroom. Members of the Foundation Board will be present at various times throughout the event to answer your questions about donations, bequests, grant programs, and more! Please join us for various Foundation-supported activities.

Pre-Meeting Workshop: Presentation Design and Speaker Development 

Student Registration Grants Awarded for AAPP 2025

Thanks to generous AAPP Foundation donors and the AAPP Past President's Destiny Fund, 20 PharmD students were awarded grants for full, in-person student registration to AAPP 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah! Congratulations to the following recipients:

Trauma Informed Care Session Session at AAPP 2025 Supported by Kim Tallian Bequest

The estate bequest made by long-time AAPP member Kim Tallian, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP, FCCP, FCSHP, APH will be partially applied to a session sponsorship at the upcoming 2025 AAPP Annual Meeting titled, Addressing Social Determinants of Health through Trauma-informed Care, presented by Dr. Marie A. Chisholm-Burns. Dr. Tallian was a passionate psychiatric pharmacist and advocate for the profession, students, residents and patients, and she passed away in January 2023 after a 3-year battle with cancer. 

AAPP Foundation President's Message: Spring 2025

Welcome Spring! I am looking forward to the change of seasons and having more daylight, sun, and warmth. And just like the change of seasons, there are changes to look forward to from the AAPP Foundation this year. The AAPP Foundation Board of Directors have been hard at work and cannot wait to share the successes from 2024 and the plans for this year! 

Attendee Wellbeing at AAPP 2024

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.

Teen Suicide, the Silent Epidemic

“What word would you choose to describe the current state of mental health for teenagers in America?” Dr. Jessica “Jessie” Merritt, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, introduced her presentation entitled “Teen Suicide, the Silent Epidemic” with this audience participation question. As words like “crisis,” “scary,” “fragile,” and “concerning” grew larger in the screen, the audience began to explore feelings evoked by the profound initial question, and the topic at hand for one of the Wednesday morning keynote sessions at AAPP 2023.

AAPP Awards Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award and Research Awards at AAPP 2023

During AAPP 2023, AAPP presented the 2023 Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award to Charles Caley, PharmD, BCPP, Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Western New England University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Springfield, MA. The Judith J. Saklad Memorial Award is presented annually to a senior psychiatric pharmacy practitioner who has achieved a level of professional distinction and represents the qualities and ideals of professional enthusiasm, a passion for optimizing patient care, and continuing dedication to the practice of psychiatric pharmacy. The Saklad Memorial Award is named after the late Judith J. Saklad.

JCPP Convenes to Advance Pharmacists’ Patient Care Services

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) held its meeting in Alexandria, VA, to advance collective efforts toward increased recognition of and payment for Pharmacists’ Patient Care Services. The day’s discussions centered on building momentum from current achievements and identifying next steps for progress. During the morning session, members focused on the recently approved, and soon to be released, revised JCPP Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process and explored strategies for implementation across all pharmacy practice settings. The afternoon featured dialogue around regulatory frameworks that support patient care, with particular emphasis on the standards of care approach to pharmacy regulation. Throughout the meeting, JCPP member organizations reaffirmed their commitment to expanding pharmacists’ roles within the health care system and enabling sustained delivery of patient care services. A special thanks to President Michelle Geier who was representing AAPP at her final JCPP meeting.

Federal Funding Recommendations to Congress Submitted

AAPP has endorsed the Mental Health Liaison Group’s FY2026 federal funding recommendations to Congress. The funding recommendations cross federal agencies with an emphasis on programs that support mental health and substance use services, training programs, and research.

Medicaid Reform Bill Clears Key House Committee

Following a lengthy hearing on Wednesday, May 14, the House Energy & Commerce Committee advanced its budget reconciliation recommendations by a 30-24 party-line vote, including major proposed changes to Medicaid. These reforms include work requirements, increased cost-sharing, limits on provider taxes and state-directed payments, and more frequent eligibility checks. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the changes could result in 7.6 million people losing coverage by 2034, while generating approximately $625 billion in Medicaid-related savings toward the $880 billion target.

Member News: June 2025

Growing the psychiatric pharmacy workforce is one of AAPP’s significant priorities. Driving students into the field of pharmacy is a critical piece. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy is working to attract students to the field by showcasing the diverse opportunities and rewards in pharmacy. We encourage you to offer to share your profession with the Pharmacy is Right For Me campaign just as AAPP member Tiffany Golz, PharmD, BCPP, recently did.

The existence of the CPNP Foundation is a direct reflection of the selfless dedication of you as CPNP members. The CPNP Foundation is seeking to meet its $50,000 year-end fundraising goal to support this important, ongoing work and is asking for your continued support with a generous donation during our year-end fundraising campaign. Your donation will support the following four areas: