This keynote discussion surfaces issues related integrated mental health and primary care. Two career nurse practitioners discuss key concepts of integrated healthcare, including tips and practice pearls for nurse practitioners who are striving to address the mental health concerns of patients in the primary care context. | 1.50 credits (0.50 Pharmacology) | $40

Optimal management of depression begins with adequate screening and early introduction of appropriate therapy; however, monoaminergic antidepressants, which are currently considered the standard of care, have several limitations, including low therapeutic response times, suboptimal efficacy and remission rates, and adverse effects that may impact patient adherence. This session explores novel pathways involved in the etiology of depression, including glutamatergic and GABAergic modulation. Newer pharmacologic agents, including neuroactive steroids and glutamatergic antidepressants are introduced; practical considerations for nurse practitioners are presented and applied to real-world cases. | 1.25 credits (1.00 Pharmacology) | $35

This session explores the presentation and treatment of psychotic symptoms. Focus is directed to the treatment of schizophrenia, an incurable neuropsychiatric disorder. Up to 34% of patients with schizophrenia have treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Most current treatments for schizophrenia have focused exclusively on dopamine, which can improve the positive symptoms of schizophrenia; however, these therapies are often associated with adverse effects. None of the currently available therapies were designed to specifically target the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Recently, the development and investigation of agents targeting the muscarinic system have demonstrated that these agents may be viable treatment options for patients with schizophrenia and have been shown to improve the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. This session assesses the symptom and treatment burdens faced by patients with schizophrenia and examines the mechanisms of action, safety, and efficacy of emerging agents with novel therapeutic targets to treat all symptoms associated with schizophrenia. | 1.25 credits (1.00 Pharmacology) | $35

In this foundational course, Dr. Josh Hamilton reviews what epigentics is, why it matters in the development disease, and in what pathways. Learners are encouraged to brush up on cell biology a bit with this presentation and are introduced to topics like: Posttranslational gene modification, acetylation, methylation, ubiquination, and more. Learn about neurohormonal stress, the importance of brain development, pleiotropy and more! This course is critical for all NPs to understand how disease develops and can be passed on to offspring. | 1.00 credits (0.50 Pharmacology) | $30

Every day, more than 90 Americans die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of opioids is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the United States exceeds $78.5 billion annually, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. The knowledge and application of pharmacogenomics to the treatment of pain operationalizes one of the major priorities of the Department of Health & Human Services to address the opioid crisis. | 1.00 credits (0.75 Pharmacology) | $30

This presentation reframes and reinforces a working knowledge of substance use and dependence in a neurobiological context. Updated disease models are presented as the basis for development of pragmatic clinical approaches. Concepts of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine are applied to diagnosis and treatment of this challenging set of clinical issues. | 1.00 credits (1.00 Pharmacology) | $30

The pharmacology of psychotropics is complex, and one of the most contemporary tools available to facilitate clinical decision-making is Precision Medicine. Based in pharmacogenomics, this approach combines pharmacology (the study of medication) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to help prescribers make more personalized medication choices. This session lays the groundwork for these concepts as the basis for a multitude of applications in precision mental healthcare. | 0.50 credits (0.50 Pharmacology) | $20

Updated diagnostic criteria and disease models for trauma and stressor-related disorders are reviewed. Neurobiological and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie stressor-related symptoms are presented as the basis for therapeutic interventions. Specific attention is given to the formulation of rational, genomically-informed pharmacologic treatment approaches for trauma and stressor-related disorders. Practical applications for nurse practitioners are presented. | 1.50 credits (1.25 Pharmacology) | $40

Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a person’s response to drugs. This science has given rise to the practice of “precision medicine,” which combines pharmacology (the study of medication) and genomics (the study of genes and their functions) to help prescribers make more personalized medication choices. These include which medications to prescribe to different individuals and what doses will have the best effects. This presentation integrates concepts of neurobiology and neuropathology with genetics and genomics to produce new models for diagnosis and personalized treatment for depressive disorders. The results of the GUIDED study are presented to highlight the efficacy of this approach. | 0.75 credits (0.75 Pharmacology) | $25

Updated diagnostic criteria and disease models for anxiety disorders are reviewed. Neurobiological and epigenetic mechanisms that underlie anxiety symptoms are presented as the basis for therapeutic interventions. Specific attention is given to the formulation of rational, genomically-informed pharmacologic treatment approaches for anxiety disorders. Practical applications for nurse practitioners are presented. | 1.0 credits (1.00 Pharmacology) | $30