Mental Health Clinician

INTRODUCTION: The role of pharmacists during medication reconciliation (MR) is well established, with a number of reports describing this in the context of psychiatric hospitalizations. However, medication errors (MEs) are common during transitions of care, with no exception during psychiatric hospitalizations. Our institution uses pharmacy-performed MR processes using patient interviews and reviewing objective sources, such as electronic pharmaceutical claims data (EPCD), which includes Medicaid Web portals...

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OBJECTIVE/PROCESS: In June of 2022, the State of Maryland Board of Pharmacy issued regulations permitting pharmacist administration of maintenance injectable medications. Subsequently, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy created a laboratory to train student pharmacists based on these regulations on administering long-acting maintenance injections. This training included a review of regulations, reconstitution and administration of medications, and education for patients and caregivers on long-acting injectable medications...

INTRODUCTION: Studies indicate that long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIAs) reduce the risk of relapse and hospitalization compared with oral antipsychotics (APs) in adults. Oral formulations of APs are well-studied in the pediatric population, but little is known regarding the off-label use of LAIAs in this population. METHODS: This retrospective chart review evaluated readmission rates for pediatric patients admitted to a psychiatric ward in a large academic hospital between January 1, 2015, and December 1, 2022, requiring AP therapy...

INTRODUCTION: Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that is FDA approved to treat alcohol dependence and opioid dependence. It is available as an oral tablet and an extended-release injectable suspension. Naltrexone is metabolized to the primary metabolite, 6-β-naltrexol, and to 2 minor metabolites, 2-hydroxy-3-methoxy-6-β-naltrexol and 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-naltrexone. One of the lesser-known metabolites of naltrexone is noroxymorphone. METHODS: A 27-year-old man taking oral naltrexone seen in the outpatient setting for alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder was found to have multiple positive urine drug screens (UDSs) for oxycodone...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic in the management of treatment-resistant schizophrenia; however, its use is challenging due to the risk of severe adverse effects. Despite the risks associated with clozapine, there is no mandatory monitoring in Canada beyond hematologic testing for agranulocytosis surveillance. This study focuses on the development, implementation, and evaluation of a clozapine clinical toolkit (CTK) targeted at optimizing inpatient clozapine use...

INTRODUCTION: Depression rates in children/adolescents in the United States have increased in the last 10 years. Fluoxetine and escitalopram are the only 2 antidepressants approved for the treatment of major depression disorder (MDD) in children/adolescents. In adults, some antipsychotics are approved for augmented treatment of MDD. However, there is limited research on antipsychotic augmentation in child/adolescent MDD. METHODS: This retrospective chart review evaluated antipsychotic prescribing for MDD in hospitalized patients aged 4 to 17 years to determine the frequency of prescribing antipsychotics for MDD and what factors influence the addition of an antipsychotic...

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacists focusing on psychotropic medication management and practicing across a wide variety of healthcare settings have significantly improved patient-level outcomes. The Systematic Literature Review Committee of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists was tasked with compiling a comprehensive database of primary literature highlighting the impact of psychiatric pharmacists on patient-level outcomes. METHODS: A systematic search of literature published from January 1, 1961, to December 31, 2022, was conducted using PubMed and search terms based on a prior American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists literature review...

INTRODUCTION: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with higher mental and physical illness and substance use disorders in adulthood. However, little is known about the prevalence of ACEs among student pharmacists and the factors associated with exposure. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of ACEs, resilience, and maladaptive coping strategies among student pharmacists in California. METHODS: Student pharmacists from 14 California pharmacy schools completed a 24-item online survey in 2020...

INTRODUCTION: The Psychotropic Drug Safety Initiative (PDSI) is a national Veterans Affairs program that recommends obtaining cardiovascular vital signs semiannually and urine toxicology screening annually for veterans prescribed stimulants. The PDSI also recommends a risk review of concurrent central nervous system (CNS) depressants to ensure the benefits of coadministration with stimulants outweigh the risks. This project's purpose was to evaluate the occurrence of coprescriptions for CNS depressants and stimulants and encourage compliance with the PDSI recommendations to increase safe and appropriate management of veterans prescribed the combination...

INTRODUCTION: Serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome are caused by 2 distinct pathologies; however, the clinical presentation associated with both syndromes share many features. METHODS: We describe a 56-year-old male patient who presented to our facility with seizures, leukocytosis, fevers, extremity hyperreflexia, and signs of autonomic dysfunction as evidenced by cardiovascular instability. The patient was noted to be taking vortioxetine, trazodone, lamotrigine, lurasidone, and carbidopa-levodopa as outpatient medications for his depression, an unspecified mood disorder, and Parkinson disease...

Hyperammonemia is a well-known adverse effect of valproate that can progress to a potentially fatal condition known as valproate-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy (VHE). VHE is more common when valproate is used in combination therapy with other antiepileptic medications. A growing number of case reports have pointed to a possible interaction with the antipsychotic risperidone leading to an increased risk of VHE. We present a case of VHE in which a 20-year-old male patient with bipolar affective disorder developed VHE when on concomitant valproate, risperidone, and paliperidone palmitate...

OBJECTIVE: Since 2017, Fulton State Hospital (FSH) has implemented a clozapine-induced constipation protocol. In March 2020, FSH initiated unit quarantines to minimize the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of these quarantines on medical referrals for constipation, the Bristol Stool Chart ratings, utilization of as-needed (PRN) laxatives, and adherence rates with scheduled constipation medication regimens. METHODS: Patients on the clozapine-induced constipation protocol from May 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, were included, with 10-month pre- and mid-quarantine implementation...

INTRODUCTION: Mental health-related stigma is a barrier to treatment and recovery for serious mental illnesses (SMIs). Educational training programs demonstrate positive changes in health professional students' attitudes and stigma toward SMI; however, student pharmacists have minimal opportunity to directly engage with the SMI population. This study aims to assess and compare student pharmacists' stigma related to SMI before and after participating in a pilot series of direct-contact workshop experiences...

Parkinson disease (PD) impacts nearly 1 million individuals in the United States. Nearly every patient with PD will require therapy with dopamine in the form of levodopa as the disease progresses. In more advanced stages of the disease, patients will experience motor fluctuations and require adjustment to their medication regimens to maintain good control of their symptoms. During the last 10 years, several new therapeutic treatment options have come to the market to treat motor fluctuations and improve patient quality of life...

INTRODUCTION: Although there are studies assessing reasons for antidepressant discontinuation, little is known about the impact of sex differences or cytochrome P450 phenotypes. Our objective is to assess discontinuation rates between males and females and whether CYP450 phenotype influences discontinuation. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of patients previously enrolled in the Right Drug, Right Dose, Right Time: Using Genomic Data to Individualize Treatment database with major depressive disorder...

INTRODUCTION: Paliperidone palmitate (PP), a second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotic, requires 2 injections upon initiation. Due to the fast-paced nature of the inpatient setting, the second dose may be administered earlier than recommended by labeled use despite the lack of evidence that evaluates this practice. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review that investigated the outcomes associated with the timing of the second PP initiation dose with the aim of comparing patients who received the second PP dose fewer than 3 days after the first injection with those who received it between 3 and 11 days after the first injection...

Concurrent alcohol and opioid withdrawal syndrome is a common and challenging clinical scenario with little published evidence or guidance to inform pharmacotherapy strategies. Concurrent use of benzodiazepines and opioid agonists, which are considered first-line agents for management of each withdrawal syndrome independently, is controversial and often avoided in clinical practice. Strategies to provide effective, simultaneous medication treatment of alcohol and opioid withdrawal while optimizing patient safety are demonstrated through 3 patient cases...

The concept of ethnopsychopharmacology aims to predict or explain the pharmacologic response to psychiatric medications based on the influence of biologic and nonbiologic factors. Interactions involving these factors are complex and influence patient outcomes in health care. Pharmacists and other clinicians working in patient care environments, research, or medical education should engage in lifelong learning to enhance ethnopsychopharmacologic knowledge gaps, which ultimately may improve and individualize care across diverse populations...