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302-22: KEYNOTE: Truths and Fallacies of Psychopharmacology

This lecture will describe aspects of the art and science of psychopharmacology, with special emphasis on correcting common misconceptions. It will be explained that medications can be used in one of two ways, either symptomatically or disease modifying. Almost all psychiatric medications are symptomatic and have no effect on the long-term diseases that underlie many psychiatric presentations. Implications of these observations for the use of psychiatric medications in clinical practice will be explored.  

Presenter:  Nassir Ghaemi, MD, MPH

Disclosures: The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationship with ineligible companies to disclose. All relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated. Off-label uses will be discussed during this presentation.

CPI Planning Committee-Georgia L. Stevens, PhD, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, is a consultant and on the speakers’ bureau for Otsuka-Lundbeck, Alkermes, and Janssen.                                              

Julie A. Carbray, PhD, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, APRN, is on the advisory board for Alkermes and Supernus.

Session Length:  1 hour 24 minutes

Target Audience:  APRN

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this presentation, the participant will be able to:

• Analyze the distinction between symptomatic improvement and disease modification with psychiatric drugs and apply to research and practice.

Keywords:  Psychopharmacology, Psychiatric Medications, DSM

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.5 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete an evaluation, and earn a passing score on the post-test before the expiration date. You will have 5 tries to correctly answer the questions on the post-test and a score of 80% is required to pass. Once you have passed and completed an evaluation, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. You cannot earn credit unless all steps are completed.

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Access to this course will end: April 27, 2025

© 2022 APNA. Reproducing and distributing this material without the written permission of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is prohibited. 

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