Psychopharmacology Update to focus on patient adherence

September 19, 2012 | Events, UToday
By Casey Cheap



The 30th annual UT Psychopharmacology Update will focus on “Developments With Patient Adherence” Friday, Sept. 28.

Open to faculty, staff and students, the conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Hilton Toledo on UT’s Health Science Campus.

“Non-adherence is a problem for medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes and asthma, and for psychiatric conditions like depression, bipolar, schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Dr. John Wryobeck, UT associate professor of psychiatry. “This conference is focusing on psychiatric disorders, but will have much to offer any health-care professional facing problems with patient follow-through on treatment recommendations.”

Non-adherence occurs when patients do not follow through on treatment recommendations from their physician. A patient’s lack of adherence to treatment recommendations results in poor outcomes such as failure to improve, relapse of symptoms and hospitalizations.

Wryobeck said up to 10 percent of patients do not pick up their prescriptions and even greater numbers do not use the medications as prescribed or discontinue use.

“Research indicates that up to 70 percent of individuals with schizophrenia are not taking their medications as prescribed. The update will provide a number of evidenced-based and practical approaches to addressing follow-through on treatment recommendations that differ from the more typical enforcing compliance from the patient.”

The update also will feature a panel discussion, which will be an opportunity for the audience to address physicians about the similarities and differences in their approaches to patient compliance.

Dr. John Greden, executive director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center, will be the keynote speaker.

He has published more than 250 scientific papers and presented more than 300 invited lectures nationally and internationally on depression-related topics.

“Dr. Greden established the first Comprehensive Depression Center and has led the effort to create similar sites around the country as part of a National Network of Depression Centers,” Wryobeck said.

The registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 21; cost is:

• $80 for general fee;

• $60 for UT Medical Center faculty and staff;

• $25 for residents and students; and

• $10 for printed syllabus.

To register, go to cme.utoledo.edu.

Click to access the login or register cheese