Psychotropic Medications in Pregnancy
(5)
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Availability
On-Demand
Expires on Feb 03, 2026
Credit Offered
1 CME Credit
1 NCPD Credit
1 COP Credit

The decision to start or continue psychiatric medications during pregnancy requires careful consideration of the risks for both the mother and her fetus and should be guided by available safety data, as well as the psychiatric history of the mother. For many women with severe mental illness (SMI), pharmacologic treatment during pregnancy will be necessary. During this session, Dr. Smith will review general clinical approaches to psychiatric medication use during pregnancy, with an emphasis on medication use in the SMI population. She will examine current safety data for antidepressants, mood stabilizers and second-generation antipsychotics and review reliable reproductive safety resources. Lastly, she will discuss the expected physiologic changes in pregnancy that can impact psychiatric medication pharmacokinetics and clinical examples around management of these changes. 

Format

Enduring webinar 

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the risk/benefit assessment of psychotropic medication use during pregnancy and apply to clinical care. 
  • Discuss current research findings on the timing and impact of psychotropic medication exposure to the fetus. 
  • Review the expected physiological changes in pregnancy and the potential impact on psychotropic drug pharmacokinetics 

Target Audience

Nurse/Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatrist, Pharmacist, Physician (Non-Psychiatrist), Physician Assistant 

Instructional Level

Intermediate

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1.0 hour 
Program Start Date: February 03, 2023
Program End Date: February 03, 2026

Ongoing Interdisciplinary Discussion Board

After completing the course, engage with colleagues in the mental health field through SMI Adviser's Webinar Roundtable Topics discussion board. This is an easy way to network and share ideas with other clinicians who participate in this webinar. Access through the discussion tab.

How to Earn Credit 

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, nursing continuing professional development contact hours (NCPD, formerly CNE), or a certificate of participation may do so by viewing the live presentation and completing the evaluation. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians), NCPD (nurses), or certificate of participation (other disciplines) showing the event date and hours earned.   

Continuing Education Credit 

In support of improving patient care, the American Psychiatric Association 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 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Nurses/Nurse Practitioners 

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. 

Planning Committee and Faculty Disclosures

The American Psychiatric Association adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing 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 Disclosures

  • Tawny L. Smith, Pharm.D., BCPP serves as an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Dell Medical School and has an additional appointment in The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. Dr. Smith has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  

Planning Committee

  • Teri Brister, PhD, LPC, National Alliance on Mental Illness. Dr. Brister has no relevant financial relationships to disclose.  
  • John Torous, MD, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Torous has no relevant financial relationships to disclose. 
  • Donna Rolin, PhD, APRN, University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Rolin has no financial relationships to disclose. 

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 smiadviserhelp@psych.org for technical assistance

Funding for SMI Adviser was made possible by Grant No. SM080818 from SAMHSA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, SAMHSA/HHS or the U.S. Government.
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