The Department of Psychiatry will kick off its annual lecture series on September 6th. Join us for the first Clinical Grand Rounds of the fall lecture season.

Reducing the Anticholinergic Medication Burden in Patients with Psychosis: A Model for Deprescription in Psychiatric Practice

Anticholinergic medications are prescribed to treat extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) associated with antipsychotics. Anticholinergic medications cause several side effects and can often be withdrawn during the maintenance phase of antipsychotic treatment without EPS re-emergence. This lecture will review the results of a quality improvement initiative that aimed to reduce anticholinergic medication burden and improve quality of life in patients with mental illness. Practical considerations for reducing anticholinergic medications will be addressed, as well as patient and provider barriers and predictors of success with deprescribing.

Date & Time. September 6, 2019, 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Location. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital (WPH) Auditorium

Learning Objectives. At the conclusion of this lecture, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the side effects associated with anticholinergic medications, including peripheral and central effects.

2. Describe how reducing anticholinergic medications for EPS can improve clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients on antipsychotics

3. Review predictors of success and/or barriers to deprescribing anticholinergic medications

For More Information. Please contact Frances Patrick at patrickfm@upmc.edu.

The entirety of this program will be a lecture by the speaker(s). All individuals able to control the content of this educational activity are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any proprietary entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients. Registration is not required for this event. This event is free and there will be no refunds. The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.

Continuing Education Credit. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.  The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.  Each physician should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.  Other health care professionals are awarded .15 continuing education units (CEUs), which are equal to 1.5 contact hours.  In accordance with Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education requirements on disclosure, information about relationships of presenters with commercial interests (if any) will be included in materials which will be distributed at the time of the conference.  WPH is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists.  WPH maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.  This program is being offered for 1.5 continuing education credits.

The indicated number of clock hours of continuing education is provided through UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital’s Office of Educational Resources and Planning, a PA-approved provider of social work continuing education in accordance with all the applicable educational and professional standards of the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapist.  These clock hours satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT renewal.  For more information, call (412) 204-9085.