A commentary recently published in the journal Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders entitled “Psychiatric Pharmacist Integration Into the Medical Home” details the fact that persons with chronic medical illnesses often have co-occurring behavioral health illnesses that require diagnosis and treatment. The publication of this commentary is the culmination of a more than two-year long effort by CPNP members to document our role in the patient care process as psychiatric pharmacists.

CPNP outlines, via this commentary, that an integrated and holistic approach to patient care has been demonstrated to be cost effective and improves patient care and satisfaction. CPNP supports the integration of psychiatric pharmacists into primary care practices to provide comprehensive medication management as part of an integrated health care team to improve access to care, improve quality of care, decrease costs, and improve provider and patient satisfaction for patients with both serious mental illnesses and chronic medical conditions. The ultimate goal in promoting collaboration between mental and medical care is to improve the lives of persons with chronic mental illness and the lives of their families.