Legislative

The Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act was introduced in the Senate (S 1188) on June 4, 2009 by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and co-sponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).  The Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act (HR 1011) has also been introduced in the House by Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Tim Murphy (R-PA). S 1188/HR1011 would amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to award grants for the co-location of primary and specialty medical care in community-based mental and behavioral health settings, establish programs to address behavioral and mental health workforce needs in professional shortage areas, and support tele-mental health services in medically-underserved areas. Read the Act

Issues & Events

Federal health regulators are urging parents to keep their children on attention deficit drugs like Ritalin and Adderall, despite new evidence in government-backed study that the stimulants can increase the risk of sudden death. Healthy children taking the medications were six to seven times more likely to die suddenly for unexplained reasons than their peers, according to the study from the National Institute of Mental Health. Full Story

Antipsychotic drugs made by AstraZeneca Plc, Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly & Co. should be cleared for children and teens, even though there is a lack of long-term safety data, a U.S. panel said. Outside advisers to the Food and Drug Administration voted in favor of all five proposals under consideration to expand use of AstraZeneca's Seroquel, Pfizer's Geodon and Lilly's Zyprexa for schizophrenia and bipolar mania. The FDA usually follows its advisers' recommendations, though it isn't required to do so, reported Bloomberg.com. Full Story

A free webinar on Safe Practices for medication safety, hosted by NQF and TMIT, will provide implementation strategies and an overview of the two Safe Practices for Better Healthcare that are related to medication management – medication reconciliation and pharmacists leadership structures and systems. The webinar is Thursday, June 18 from 1 – 2:30 pm ET Click here to register.

Policy

Substance abuse and addiction cost federal, state and local governments at least $467.7 billion in 2005, according to Shoveling Up II: The Impact of Substance Abuse on Federal, State and Local Budgets, a new report from The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. The CASA report found that of $373.9 billion in federal and state spending, 95.6% ($357.4 billion) went to shovel up the consequences and human wreckage of substance abuse and addiction; only 1.9% went to prevention and treatment, 0.4% to research, 1.4% to taxation and regulation, and 0.7% to interdiction. Full Story

APNA Highlights

APNA 7th Annual CPI Conference, June 26-28, 2009, Reston, VA
Highlight on Programming

Here is a peek at one exciting session planned for CPI: Transcultural Care Delivery: Current Issues in Recovery and Drug Metabolism. For the full program schedule, click here

Case Study
Hamid moved his family to the U.S. within five years of the 1984 Iranian revolution. With two young daughters and a third child on the way he "didn't want to take any chances by remaining in Iran." Jaleh, Hamid’s wife, was exhausted and weak. The pregnancy was problematic her recovery had been slow and rocky. Jaleh has a probable genetic predisposition to mental illness. She has always heard rumors about different family members who had suffered from different forms of anxiety and depressive disorders. She was always told that they had a "nervous problem." As Hamid worked harder and longer, Jaleh became more and more depressed and nonattentive to the children. One daughter is reclusive and slightly overweight. Hamid constantly comments on her looks, and Jaleh attempts to protect her against his words.

As a nurse, what areas would you focus on first? How would you approach this family for mental health counseling?

Come learn more about transcultural care delivery and current issues in recovery and drug metabolism. Registration ends Monday, June 22, 2009, at 5pm Eastern

Forensic Psychiatric Nurses Council
APNA Forensic Psychiatric Nurses Council is seeking to fill vacant seats on its steering committee. Click here for more information.