CME Outfitters Announces Live CE Series: 'Treatment Convergence: Management of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder with Atypical Antipsychotics�

Rockville, MD (PRWEB) October 17, 2006 -- CME Outfitters, LLC, nationally accredited provider of multidisciplinary medical education programming and related healthcare communications services, is pleased to announce an upcoming live and interactive evidence-based psychCME TALK audioconference series titled "Treatment Convergence: Management of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder with Atypical Antipsychotics."

Offered as a series of 10 live and interactive audioconferences premiering Thursday, November 16, 2006, from 1:15-2:15 p.m. ET, the series will focus on providing clinicians with current evidence-based educational information to effectively implement appropriate treatment strategies for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This CE activity will also be available as an archived telephone audioconference shortly after the audioconference premiere, and available as an archived webcast, podcast, and multimedia CD-ROM in December 2006.

There is no fee for participation in this activity, or to obtain a CE certificate; however, registration is required. Three forms of registration are accepted:
Online: Visit the activity details page at http://www.cmeoutfitters.com/cmea.asp?ID=216
Phone: Call 877.CME.PROS (877.263.7767)
Fax: Visit the activity details page at http://www.cmeoutfitters.com/cmea.asp?ID=216, print and complete the activity details form, and fax to 240.243.1033

Statement of Need:
Schizophrenia is a chronic, debilitating psychiatric disorder that significantly impacts social, occupational, and cognitive functioning. Bipolar disorder (BPD) also affects social and occupational functioning, and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The effective management of schizophrenia and BPD is frequently complicated by real-world challenges such as adherence. Treatment adherence can be determined in part by medication efficacy and side effects. Atypical antipsychotics are the recommended first-line therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia. Recent clinical evidence indicates that combining atypical antipsychotics with mood stabilizers may provide more effective management of bipolar mania than a mood stabilizer alone. Psychotherapeutic interventions in combination with pharmacotherapy also play an integral role in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by markedly improving adherence to medication. While atypical antipsychotics are useful tools in the arsenal to manage schizophrenia and BPD, they are not without limitations. As a class, atypical agents may produce weight gain as well as glucose and lipid dysregulation, all of which can decrease treatment adherence. In this evidence-based CME Outfitters/psychCME activity, the experts will discuss the convergence of pharmacologic approaches to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and propose strategies for improving outcomes in the treatment of these challenging patients.

Faculty:
John Kane, MD
Chairman, Department of Psychiatry
The Zucker Hillside Hospital
Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neuroscience
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Glen Oaks, NY

Paul Keck, Jr., MD
Professor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience
Executive Vice Chairman for Research
Department of Psychiatry
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, OH

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this CE activity, participants should be able to:
- Compare and contrast the use of atypical antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Identify factors that contribute to discontinuation of medication in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
- Develop treatment strategies that utilize pharmacological and nonpharmacologic approaches to achieve optimal outcomes in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Target Audience:
Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, social workers, certified case managers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals with an interest in mental health.

Commercial Support:
CME Outfitters, LLC, gratefully acknowledges an educational grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in support of this CE activity.

Credit Information:
CME Credit (Physicians):
CME Outfitters, LLC, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Note to Physician Assistants: AAPA accepts Category I credit from AOACCME, Prescribed credit from AAFP, and AMA Category I CME credit for the PRA from organizations accredited by ACCME.

CNE Credit (Nurses):
This Educational Activity is presented by CME Outfitters, LLC, which has been approved as a provider of continuing education by the New York State Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. It has been assigned code 5UYSJZ-PRV-04104. 1.2 contact hours (Pharmacology)

CEP Credit (Psychologists):
CME Outfitters is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CME Outfitters maintains responsibility for this program and its content. (1.0 CE credits)

NASW Credit (Social Workers):
This program was approved by the National Association of Social Workers (provider #886407722) for 1 continuing education contact hour.

CCMC Credit (Certified Case Managers):
This program has been approved for 1 hour by the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC).

CPE Credit (Pharmacists):
CME Outfitters, LLC, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. 1.0 contact hours (0.1 CEUs)
Universal Program Number: 376-999-06-020-L01 (live interactive session) 376-999-06-020-H01 (recorded activities)

To receive credit, participants must review all activity materials in their entirety, score 70% or above on a post-test, and fully complete and return both the credit request form and activity evaluation. A certificate or statement of credit will be mailed within 4-6 weeks to all who successfully complete these requirements.

About CME Outfitters:
CME Outfitters is a full service healthcare communications agency providing continuing education content development, production, marketing, accreditation, and project management services to the healthcare industry. Among its many collaborative ventures, CME Outfitters has played a primary role in the production, certification, marketing, and logistical support for the popular psychCME series of educational activities. For more information on CME Outfitters, including a complete calendar of its free award-winning educational activities, please visit http://www.cmeoutfitters.com, or call 877.CME.PROS (877.263.7767).

To view all of CME Outfitters' recent press releases, visit http://www.cmeoutfitters.com and click on "CME Outfitters in the News" or visit http://www.prweb.com and search for "CME Outfitters."

CME Outfitters publishes a weekly e-newsletter, which is a convenient way to stay informed of all CME Outfitters news and information. To subscribe, visit http://www.cmeoutfitters.com and click on "Register for Updates."

Contact: Jessica Primanzon
CME Outfitters, LLC
240.243.1308 direct
240.243.1033 fax

# # #