Medications prescribed for patients with serious mental illness (SMI) include several categories with safety warnings, which require either special consideration for use or close monitoring. Guidelines exist to assist clinicians to optimize medication selection for older adults, aiding in prevention of common adverse drug events among the elderly. In this session, you will learn best practices for safety considerations for use of psychotropic medications in older adults. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) released 2019 updates to the Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication (PIM) use in older adults, and the previous update was released in 2015. The AGS medication recommendations include medications to use with caution, those to examine in relationship to common disease states, as well as medications in comparison for potential medication interactions. These guidelines will be outlined in the context of standard psychiatric practices. Discussion of periodic review of all medications, de-prescribing, and alternatives will also be included.
Format
Recorded webinar, non-interactive, self-paced distance learning activity with post-test.
This presentation was recorded on April 11, 2019.
Learning Objectives
Identify potentially inappropriate psychotropic medication for use in older adults, allowing for close inspection of benefits and harms among drug categories prescribed for patients with serious mental illness.
Describe pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics warranting special considerations when prescribing psychotropic medications for older adults in order to prevent adverse drug events.
Examine safety considerations, including patients’ reasonable use of poly-pharmacy, de-prescribing, and use of alternatives for management of psychiatric issues when appropriate.
Outline
- Risks and Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Older Adults
- Pharmacological Considerations in the Elderly
- Guidelines and Tools for Safe Prescribing
- Antipsychotic Use in Dementia and LTC Settings
- Safer Alternatives and Team-Based Care
Target Audience
Psychiatrist, Physician (Non-psychiatrist), Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse, Pharmacist
Instructional Level
Advanced; Expert
Estimated Time to Complete
Estimated Duration: 1.25 hours
Program Start Date: July 30, 2025
Program End Date: July 30, 2028
How to Earn Credit
After completing the evaluation, participants will have the opportunity to claim their hours of participation and download the appropriate certificate. Physicians may obtain an official CME certificate, other healthcare professionals may receive a CE certificate (as applicable), and all other attendees may generate a certificate of participation. Each certificate will reflect the event date and total hours earned.
Continuing Education Credit
In support of improving patient care, American Psychiatric Association (APA) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
The APA designates this live event for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty and Planner Disclosures
The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CME activity - including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others - are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.
Faculty
- Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN. University of Texas at Austin. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
Program Planners
- John Torous, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Torous has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. (Reviewed on 4/11/22)
- Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dr. Brister has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. (Reviewed on 4/12/22)
Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities
The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.
Technical Requirements
This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:
The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
Internet Explorer 11+
This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.
Optimal System Configuration:
Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher
Minimum Requirements:
Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact support@smicaladviser.org for technical assistance