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CPNP 2018 Highlights

America's Opioid Crisis and the Role of Pharmacists

Monday, April 23, 2018, 8:30-9:30 AM

Join Dr. Christopher M. Jones, Director of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, as he describes how the misuse of and addiction to opioids is a serious national problem that affects public health, as well as social and economic welfare. Jones will address the opioid crisis in the United States, the rising incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (due to opioid use during pregnancy), and the increased spread of infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C. Primary approaches to addressing the crisis include prevention, addressing the underlying addiction issues, and treating overdoses directly by increasing access to naloxone. Longer-term research includes the development of pain medications with reduced abuse/addiction potential. In addition, the ways that pharmacists can play central roles in changing prescribing practices, increasing access to naloxone, and improving access to methadone and buprenorphine with pharmacy dispensing will be reviewed.

Read more about advancing the practice of pain management under the HHS Opioid Strategy. Read more about this session.

Mixed Opinions: Recognition and Management of Depressions with Mixed Features

Monday, April 23, 2018, 9:30-10:30 AM

The current DSM-5 manual includes a new specifier for mixed features; however, there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved medications to treat major depressive disorder with mixed features. Furthermore, there are two guidelines that provide decision support to providers managing patients with depression with mixed features. Importantly, these guidelines differ in their recommendations namely whether to use antidepressant monotherapy due to the potential risk for inducing a treatment emergent affective switch. Pharmacists involved in management of patients with depressive mixed episodes can provide valuable input to the healthcare team by understanding available data as well as how to best manage this patient population. This program will improve pharmacists’ knowledge of the mixed features specifier and depressive mixed states presentation including common differential diagnoses as well as inform pharmacists on evidence-based treatment options for these patients.

Read more about this session.

Gluten Sensitivity in Schizophrenia

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 8:30-9:30 AM

Deconstructing the illness of schizophrenia is of particular interest as this heterogeneous disorder may be composed of etiologically distinct disorders with different mechanisms which could all serve as treatment targets for components of the disorder. One specific group with elevated peripheral and central inflammatory response is those with schizophrenia having elevations in antigliadin antibodies (AGA IgG). In addition to high inflammation, this subgroup may be distinct by having lower positive symptoms and high kynurenic acid levels. It remains unclear, however, how these elevations in AGA IgG and immune activation in this subgroup may contribute to the illness and schizophrenia psychopathology; however it may be related to gut permeability or mimicry/cross reactivity to proteins present. This population may represent a subgroup which may have personalized and targeted treatments developed. This talk will discuss the emerging association of inflammation and immune activity in schizophrenia, review the data that helps characterize the subgroup with AGA IgG and present ongoing work for treatment targets and mechanisms of action connecting gluten to schizophrenia. This work suggests that more personalized treatments targeting diet modulation or immune/inflammation may play future roles in schizophrenia treatment. Read more about this session.

Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 9:45-10:45 AM

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia such as problems with attention, memory, and processing speed, lead to important difficulties in social and occupational function for the patients who suffer from the illness. Dr. Richard Keefe will assess the unmet needs related to cognitive function in schizophrenia, describe the methods used to assess these important deficits, and review the treatments currently employed to treat them. Filling an important gap in pharmacy education, cutting-edge strategies will be discussed that relate to both behavioral interventions and pharmacological interventions to improve these important symptoms. Agents in the pipeline with promising data will also be described. Read more about this session.