The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences invites you to attend an exciting new conference, titled
Living Legends in Psychopharmacology targeted for the practicing clinician. Lectures will center on treatment of usual psychiatric patients with emphasis on those who
are difficult to treat or are treatment resistant. Newer treatments and developing treatment strategies will be discussed, including recommended algorithms, treatment sequencing, and targeted combined pharmacotherapy.
It is recommended that course attendees have some familiarity with the neurobiological and genetic contributions to psychiatric illnesses as well as an understanding of
the basic therapeutic mechanisms of psychotropic medications. This conference will emphasize the topics most relevant to current clinical practice. Updates on genetic
contributions to psychopathology will serve as a foundation for discussion of specific psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Understanding of the interface between psychiatric, neurological, and medical illness, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, will enhance participants’ ability to choose treatments. New antipsychotic medications and
treatment augmentation will be reviewed along with potential new uses for mood stabilizers. Updates on the latest treatment of anxiety disorders, use of benzodiazepines,
and PTSD will be highlighted.
Neurobiologic mechanisms of depression, with discussion of the role of inflammation, will be emphasized. Updates on evidence-based use of antidepressants will incorporate
the latest clinical findings. Special consideration will be given to ketamine, ECT, TMS, psychedelics, and augmentation strategies for difficult-to-treat depression and
bipolar depression.
An emphasis will be placed on special and unique populations for which medications are frequently prescribed. The second day will lead off with a review of the role of psycho-
pharmacology in the treatment of sleep disorders. Latest advances in child, adolescent and geriatric psychopharmacology will be reviewed in two separate presentations. The use of medication across women’s reproductive life span will address such considerations as PMDD, pregnancy, lactation, and post-partum depression. A presentation on the neurobiology and treatment of alcohol, opioids, cannabis, and other substance use disorders will be included. Throughout the course, discussion of the importance of the therapeutic alliance when prescribing psychotropic medications will be underscored. A major highlight of the course is that there will be considerable opportunity for interaction with the presenters in question-and-answer panel discussions.
