404-26: What’s Old Can Be New Again: Reexamining Psychopharmacology Through a Neuroscience Lens

Advances in neuroscience and psychopharmacology have reshaped how clinicians understand older psychotropic medications. This presentation reframes classic psychopharmacological agents using current neuroscience, receptor-based models and pharmacogenomics. Gain appreciation why certain older medications remain relevant and how to apply this knowledge to individualized treatment planning across psychiatric disorders.

Presenter:  Laura Leahy, DrNP, APRN, FAANP, FAAN

Disclosures:  The APNA planners and faculty, with the exception of those listed below, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. Off-label uses will be discussed during this presentation.

Laura G. Leahy, DrNP, APRN, FAANP, FAAN is on the speaker’s bureau for Sage/Biogen Therapeutics, and is on the advisory board for Johnson & Johnson and Emergent BioSolutions U.S. 

Session Length:  1 hour 45 minutes

Target Audience:  RN, APRN

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

• Identify three “old” psychotropics and their mechanism of action.

Keywords:  Psychotropic Medications, Neuroscience, Prescribing, Neuroreceptors

Nursing Continuing Professional Development:
1.75 pharmacology contact hours.  * In order to receive contact hours, you must: Listen to presentation, complete the evaluation and honor statement, and pass the post-test with a score of 80% or higher before the expiration date. Once all steps are successfully completed, the certificate will be generated online, available for you to print immediately. Contact hours cannot be awarded unless all required components are completed. Partial credit will not be awarded.

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:  July 7, 2026
Access to this course will end:  July 31, 2028

© 2026 APNA. Reproducing and distributing this material without the written permission of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) is prohibited. 

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