4026-25: Deprescribing in Action: Reducing Polypharmacy to Improve Mental Health Outcomes

This interactive, lively presentation provides the opportunity to discuss, develop, and prioritize the steps necessary to formulate a deprescribing plan for three common complex patient psychotropic medication scenarios. There will be a specific focus on the management of multiple psychotropics and controlled substances, as well as long-term antipsychotic use in the older adult.

Presenters:  Bonnie Lynn Nickasch, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC; Miriam Sward, DNP, APNP, PMHNP-BC, ANP-BC; Alyssa Forslin, DNP, APNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will not be discussed during this presentation.

Session Length:  30 minutes

Target Audience:  APRN

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

• Recognize three specific strategies in the management of polypharmacy.

Key Takeaway(s): 

• Deprescribing is important and needed to maximize patient wellness and quality of life.
• Shared Decision Making (SDM) and Motivational Interviewing (MI) provide tools to assist with deprescribing in practice.

Keywords:  Deprescribing, Motivational Interviewing, Shared Decision Making

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
0.5 contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to the entire presentation, complete the reflection activity, evaluation, and honor statement before the expiration date. Once all steps are successfully completed, a certificate will be generated online and available for you to print immediately. Contact hours cannot be awarded unless all required components 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.

Release Date:  December 5, 2025
Access to this course will end:  December 1, 2028

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