News and Insights for Psychiatric Pharmacists

See Employer Benefits by Supporting AAPP Volunteerism "The knowledge gained has been used to change local prescribing policies. My connections provide access to people within the AAPP community with expertise in areas outside my experience." Michael Shuman

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!

We are proud to partner with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance to offer a 7-part, on-demand educational series! Each module tackles a core challenge in clozapine care, ranging from adverse effect management to monitoring in the post-REMS era, and use in special populations. Register today and get started!

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.

Newly published article in Schizophrenia Bulletin. "This study uses neighborhood-level data to examine associations between area deprivation and paranoia in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) and bipolar disorder (BD)."

This free 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.

Gabapentin is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of partial seizures and postherpetic neuralgia, but is commonly prescribed for off-label use, including neuropathic pain.

Of those participants who transitioned out of a bridge clinic into community-based SUD care, 78% were successfully connected to ongoing care and 84% were still in care at follow-up.

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

Adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or recurrent major depressive disorder are at elevated risk for long COVID.

This is your chance to get involved with the important work being done by AAPP committees and editorial boards. Through December 1, AAPP will be accepting applications for volunteer openings anticipated for the 2026-2027 committee year which starts March/April. Selections will be made and announced no later than January 2026 with a volunteer start date to be announced for March/April 2026. Apply today!

The AAPP Foundation has accomplished a lot this year, and yet there is still much to do. You can assist us in creating a better tomorrow and help us launch initiatives in the areas of research, education, practitioner development, and our communities. Donate online today!

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.

MHA's State of Mental Health report was released last week and uses the most recent SAMHSA data to highlight and rank states on mental health and well-being. The 2025 report ranks New York, Hawaii, and New Jersey the highest in the nation for mental health - reflecting lower rates of mental illness and higher access to care. Nevada, Arizona and Alabama ranked lowest. A supplemental youth spotlight on mental health advocacy, created by MHA's Young Leaders Council, shows how young people are turning awareness into action and provides strategies and inspiration for other young people to follow.

Module 1 of the TMP Training Series provides tools, tactics, and strategies you need to improve your communication skills and strengthen your status as a trusted messenger.

These results highlight hospitalization as an opportunity to connect patients with IDU-IE to MOUD and preventative care, particularly in rural areas where access to such services may be limited.

Findings suggest that recent SSP use was associated with recent SUD treatment uptake, while recent CLS involvement was not.

“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

A new Kaiser Family Foundation brief tracks how states are reshaping vaccine policies amid shifting federal guidance. As of Sept. 22, 2025, 26 states had implemented or announced updates expanding access to COVID-19 and other vaccines beyond federal limits. The analysis highlights a sharp partisan divide: Democratic governors lead 23 of those 26 states. The findings suggest vaccine access may increasingly vary by state, reflecting broader political polarization and mirroring national divides in public opinion over vaccination and public health policy.

AAPP supports access to MOUD and defining OUD as a treatable medical condition with a biological basis often associated with a history of trauma. Use AAPP’s policy brief to advocate for this gold-standard treatment.

This BCPP prep product includes 11 recorded review webinars and one "last-chance" question and answer session with authors/presenters. This popular series is updated annually and covers important content for the exam. Register today!

Glean information and insights from AAPP’s toolkit on Pain Management Pearls for Patients with Chronic Pain or Opioid Use Disorder, our newest valuable resource.

Support the next generation of leaders in psychiatric pharmacy. A $500/month donation funds Collegiate Chapter Impact Grants, which empower student pharmacists to grow as innovators, researchers, and advocates for mental health. Your investment can help shape the future. #AAPPFoundation #AdvancingPsychPharmacy

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

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed Medicare Administrative Contractors to lift the hold currently in place on some claims with service dates occurring after Oct. 1. This includes telehealth claims that the agency “can confirm are definitively for behavioral and mental health services.” The agency says it will continue to temporarily hold claims for other telehealth services. Many pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities expired Oct. 1, including coverage for home-based and non-rural services. As a reminder, without congressional action to extend telehealth flexibilities, an in-person (i.e., not telehealth) visit is now required within six months prior to a patient receiving their first mental health telehealth service, along with an annual in-person visit requirement for established patients. CMS states it does not believe this requirement applies to beneficiaries who began receiving mental health telehealth services in their homes prior to Oct. 1, 2025. Statutory requirements also exempt telehealth services for someone with a diagnosis of SUD or co-occurring conditions from this requirement. CMS has published a Telehealth Factsheet, along with a Telehealth FAQ updated Oct. 15, 2025.

The 3/6/25 #JournalClub (1/2) presented "Single-Dose Psilocybin for Depression With Severe Treatment Resistance: An Open-Label Trial." The recording is available free to all AAPP members.

The first systematic review to examine PrEP interventions among PWUD and identify strategies to enhance adherence.

AAPP supports access to behavioral interventions, including parent training in behavior management, and stimulant treatment for youth with functionally impairing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as the most effective treatment for ADHD given their associated improvement in academic, social, and developmental functioning. Psychiatric pharmacists are encouraged to use this policy brief to support your own advocacy for this gold-standard treatment.

This study provides empirical support for the theory that AVH are related to abnormalities in the normative suppressive mechanisms associated with inner speech.

An Associated Press investigation found that the wave of legislation has cropped up in most states, pushed by people with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In this study, individuals with psychosis reported a large increase in current cannabis use following legalization and commercialization of cannabis in their state, and by larger amounts than previously reported estimates of the general population.

An increase in APC was associated with an increase in the suicide mortality rate at the population level and that the association was similar across sexes.

These findings provide evidence for a relationship between all types of alcohol use and increased dementia risk.

BPS has announced the approval of AAPP as a professional development program (PDP) providers for the contract period beginning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2030. AAPP will deliver dually certified educational activities for pharmacists certified in pain and psychiatry in partnership with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the Society of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacists (SPPCP), and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).

The AAPP membership has elected three officers to serve on the 2026-2028 Board of Directors. Assuming their offices effective July 1, 2026, will be Drs. Austin Campbell, Julie Cunningham and Bethany DiPaula. These 3 new members will join Drs. Jolene Bostwick, Kelly Gable, Suzanne Harris and Danielle Stutzman on the Board for 2026-2027.

The Global status report on neurology presents the first comprehensive global assessment of the public health response to neurological disorders under the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–31 (IGAP).

The American Psychiatric Association has released an updated guideline for preventing and treating delirium. The previous guideline was published in 1999 with a minor revision in 2010. The updated guideline includes steps aimed at prevention and has a broader scope, targeting not only psychiatrists but also specialists in internal medicine, family medicine, and critical care nursing.

Thanks to member authors Julie Cunningham and Tanya Uritsky, AAPP is pleased to offer this toolkit on Pain Management Pearls for Patients with Chronic Pain or Opioid Use Disorder. The toolkit includes general clinical pearls, information on managing pain and co-occurring MOUD, perinatal pain in patients prescribed MOUD, postpartum opioid-induced respiratory events, and discussion of chronic pain management with a focus on buprenorphine.

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!

Ready to lead the way in psychotropic LAI implementation? This 6-part educational series equips learners with advanced knowledge across clinical care, patient engagement, leadership advocacy, and financial sustainability. #LAIs #psychiatricpharmacy #CE