New Drugs and New Directions in Psychopharmacology: The 2023-2024 Edition
Presented by Lynette Pujol, PhD, MSCP
Recorded on Thursday, March 14th, 2024
Access provided upon registration on “My Courses” page
In prescribing to patients as a rule of thumb, it is often useful to remember the “Rule of Thirds.” Specifically, 1/3 of patients treated will have a complete remission of symptoms; 1/3 of patients will have a partial remission; and 1/3 of patients will not obtain any treatment effect. Hence, prescribers are commonly faced with conditions such as Treatment Resistant Depression or Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia. Innovations in drug development or formulation often signifies new treatment options for patients through bioengineering and addressing new mechanisms of action to produce treatment effects. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is entrusted with guiding and evaluating new drug development in accordance with manufacturing and clinical trial requirements, human safety, along with other data needed for FDA approval.
In this presentation Dr. Lynette Pujol will review new FDA medications approved in 2023 and review new research findings in psychopharmacology. Mechanisms of action, approved indications, dosages, serious and common side-effects and CYP 450 interactions will be presented. Why the new drug might be used clinically over others on the market will also be discussed. New research directions will be presented, including clinical trials and drugs in development.
When attended in full, this program offers 1.0 APA CEs for Psychologists.
In prescribing to patients as a rule of thumb, it is often useful to remember the “Rule of Thirds.” Specifically, 1/3 of patients treated will have a complete remission of symptoms; 1/3 of patients will have a partial remission; and 1/3 of patients will not obtain any treatment effect. Hence, prescribers are commonly faced with conditions such as Treatment Resistant Depression or Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia. Innovations in drug development or formulation often signifies new treatment options for patients through bioengineering and addressing new mechanisms of action to produce treatment effects. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is entrusted with guiding and evaluating new drug development in accordance with manufacturing and clinical trial requirements, human safety, along with other data needed for FDA approval.
In this presentation Dr. Lynette Pujol will review new FDA medications approved in 2023 and review new research findings in psychopharmacology. Mechanisms of action, approved indications, dosages, serious and common side-effects and CYP 450 interactions will be presented. Why the new drug might be used clinically over others on the market will also be discussed. New research directions will be presented, including clinical trials and drugs in development.
After attending this intermediate-level program, participants will be able to:
- List several FDA-approved medications over the last 15 months, and their indication for use (depression, Alzheimer’s Disease, etc.) in pharmacotherapy.
- List at least two new directions in psychopharmacology (i.e., in development) for the treatment of mental disorders
This program meets APA’s continuing education STANDARD 1.2: Program content focuses on ethical, legal, statutory or regulatory policies, guidelines, and standards that influence psychological practice, education, or research.
This program meets APA’s continuing education GOAL 2: Program will enable psychologists to keep pace with the most current scientific evidence regarding assessment, prevention, intervention, and/or education, as well as important relevant legal, statutory, leadership, or regulatory issues.
Lynette Pujol, PhD, MSCP; Professor, Clinical Psychopharmacology Department, The Chicago School
Lynette A. Pujol is a clinical psychologist and full-time psychopharmacology prescriber. She is the Deputy Director of the MSCP program at Fairleigh Dickinson. She is a clinical adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Pujol has been the Primary Investigator or Co-Investigator on studies involving spinal cord stimulation, functional restoration, diabetes prevention, sleep, and treatment of suicidal concerns. She currently prescribes psychotropic medications at a tertiary care hospital. She writes and publishes on topics related to evidence-based medicine delivered through tele-behavioral health and psychopharmacology. Most recently, she launched a website (PEPSteps) to assist MSCP graduates study for the Psychopharmacology Exam for Psychologists.
Dubovsky, S. L. (2016). The limitations of genetic testing in psychiatry. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 85, 129-135. DOI: 10.1159/000443512
First, M. B., & Zimmerman, M. (2006). Including laboratory tests in DSM-V diagnostic criteria. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(12), 2041-2042.
Lopez-Castroman, J., Blasco-Fontecilla, H., Paz-Yepes, M., Montoya-Ferrer, A., De LeonMartinez, V., Alvarez, R., & Baca-Garcia, E. (2012). Cost-efficiency of laboratory testing among psychiatric inpatients. Int’l. J. Psychiatry in Medicine, 44, 211-224.
Reppe, L.A., Spigset, O. & Schjøtt, J. (2016). Drug Information Services Today: Current Role and Future Perspectives in Rational Drug Therapy. Clinical Therapeutics, 38(2), 414-421.
Schindler, E.A.D., Wallace, R.M., Sloshower, J.A. & D’Souza, D.C. (2018). Neuroendocrine Associations Underlying the Persistent Therapeutic Effects of Classic Serotonergic Psychedelics. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9, 177, 1-16. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00177
Target Audience: Psychologists, social workers, other mental health care providers.
Psychologists. This program, when attended in its entirety, is available for 1.0 continuing education credits. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in its continuing education activities. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is also committed to conducting all activities in conformity with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles for Psychologists. Participants are asked to be aware of the need for privacy and confidentiality throughout the program. If program content becomes stressful, participants are encouraged to process these feelings during discussion periods.
Non Psychologists. Most licensing boards accept Continuing Education Credits sponsored by the American Psychological Association but non-psychologists are recommended to consult with their specific state-licensing board to ensure that APA-sponsored CE is acceptable.
*Participants must attend 100% of the program in order to obtain a Certificate of Attendance.
If participants have special needs, we will attempt to accommodate them. Please address questions, concerns and any complaints to [email protected]. There is no commercial support for this program nor are there any relationships between the CE Sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could reasonably be construed as conflicts of interest.