CME information
Release/expiration dates
Originally released: February 1, 2013
Reviewed and re-released: February 1, 2016
CME credit expires: January 31, 2019
Target audience
This activity has been developed for prescribers specializing in psychiatry. All other health care providers interested in psychopharmacology are welcome for advanced study, especially primary care physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and pharmacists.
Statement of need
Psychiatric illnesses have a neurobiological basis and are primarily treated by pharmacological agents; understanding each of these, as well as the relationship between them, is essential in order to select appropriate treatment for a patient. The field of psychopharmacology has experienced incredible growth; it has also experienced a major paradigm shift from a limited focus on neurotransmitters and receptors to an emphasis as well upon brain circuits, neuroimaging, genetics, and signal transduction cascades.
The following unmet needs and professional practice gaps regarding mental health were revealed following a critical analysis of activity feedback, expert faculty assessment, literature review, and through new medical knowledge:
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Mental disorders are highly prevalent and carry substantial burden that can be alleviated through treatment; unfortunately, many patients with mental disorders do not receive treatment or receive suboptimal treatment.
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There is a documented gap between evidence-based practice guidelines and actual care in clinical practice for patients with mental illnesses. This gap is due at least in part to lack of clinician confidence and knowledge in terms of appropriate usage of the therapeutic tools available to them.
To help address clinician performance gaps with respect to diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders, quality improvement efforts need to provide education regarding (1) the fundamentals of neurobiology as it relates to the most recent research regarding the neurobiology of mental illnesses; (2) the mechanisms of action of treatment options for mental illnesses and the relationship to the pathophysiology of the disease states; and (3) new therapeutic tools and research that are likely to affect clinical practice.
Learning objectives
After completing this activity, you should be better able to:
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Apply fundamental principles of neurobiology to the assessment of psychiatric disease states
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Differentiate the neurobiological targets for psychotropic medications
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Link the relationship of psychotropic drug mechanism of action to the pathophysiology of disease states
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Identify novel research and treatment approaches that are expected to affect clinical practice
Accreditation and credit designation statements
The Neuroscience Education Institute is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Neuroscience Education Institute designates this enduring material for a maximum of 67.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses:
for all of your CNE requirements for recertification, the ANCC will accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME. The content of this activity pertains to pharmacology and is worth 67.0 continuing education hours of pharmacotherapeutics.
Physician assistants:
the NCCPA accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ from organizations accredited by the AMA (providers accredited by the ACCME).
A certificate of participation for completing this activity will also be available.
Optional posttests and CME credit instructions
The estimated time for completion of this activity is 67 hours. Optional certificates of CME credit or participation are available for each topical section of the book (total of twelve sections). There is a fee for each posttest (varies per section) which is waived for NEI members.
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Read the desired topical section, evaluating the content presented
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Complete the related posttest, available only online at www.neiglobal.com/CME (under “Book”)
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Print your certificate (if a score of 70% or more is achieved)
Questions? call 888-535-5600, or email CustomerService@NEIglobal.com
Peer review
The content was originally peer-reviewed in 2013 by 3 MDs and a PharmD to ensure the scientific accuracy and medical relevance of information presented and its independence from commercial bias. The content was reviewed again in 2016 to verify it is still up-to-date and accurate. The Neuroscience Education Institute takes responsibility for the content, quality, and scientific integrity of this CME activity.
Disclosures
Disclosed financial relationships with conflicts of interest have been reviewed by the NEI CME Advisory Board Chair and resolved.
Author
Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA
Honorary Visiting Senior Fellow, University of Cambridge, UK
Director of Psychopharmacology, California Department of State Hospitals, Sacramento, CA
Grant/Research: Alkermes, Clintara, Forest, Forum, Genomind, JayMac, Jazz, Lilly, Merck, Novartis, Otsuka America, Pamlab, Pfizer, Servier, Shire, Sprout, Sunovion, Sunovion UK, Takeda, Teva, Tonix
Consultant/Advisor: Acadia, BioMarin, Forum/EnVivo, Jazz, Orexigen, Otsuka America, Pamlab, Servier, Shire, Sprout, Taisho, Takeda, Trius
Speakers Bureau: Forum, Servier, Sunovion UK, Takeda
Board Member: BioMarin, Forum/EnVivo, Genomind, Lundbeck, Otsuka America, RCT Logic, Shire
Content editors
Meghan Grady
Director, Content Development, Neuroscience Education Institute, Carlsbad, CA
No financial relationships to disclose
Debbi Ann Morrissette, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences, California State University, San Marcos
Medical Writer, Neuroscience Education Institute, Carlsbad, CA
No financial relationships to disclose
The 2013 Peer Reviewers and Design Staff had no financial relationships to disclose. The 2016 Peer Reviewer has no financial relationships to disclose.
Disclosure of Off-Label Use
This educational activity may include discussion of unlabeled and/or investigational uses of agents that are not currently labeled for such use by the FDA. Please consult the product prescribing information for full disclosure of labeled uses.
Disclaimer
Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information from this activity to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this educational activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this educational activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patients’ conditions and possible contraindications or dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. Primary references and full prescribing information should be consulted.
Cultural and linguistic competency
A variety of resources addressing cultural and linguistic competency can be found
at http://cdn.neiglobal.com/content/cme/regulations/ca_ab_1195_handout_non-ca_2008.pdf.
Provider
This activity is sponsored by the Neuroscience Education Institute.
Support
This activity is supported solely by theNeuroscience Education Institute.
Optional posttests with CME credit are available for a fee (waived for NEI Members). For more information, visit www.neiglobal.com/CME.