A note about the APNA Annual Conference
Plans are well underway for the the APNA 24th Annual Conference in Louisville, KY, Oct. 13-16, 2010. The economy is still a very unsettling issue in the country. The APNA Board has held the conference fees at the same rate as last year and to help offset attendees' out-of-pocket expenses, there will be eight events at the Conference that include meals. In response to suggestions to provide an opportunity for networking in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, we have asked the local chapter to plan a fun evening for all attendees.

Click here for an important message about the conference from Buford Lafontaine. Don’t miss out on the Early Bird – Deadline is August 31st! Register Today

2010 CPI Online Sessions Now Available!
Twelve of this year's CPI sessions are now available online as archived webinars!  Learn about the most current practices and insights in clinical psychopharmacology as presented at the 8th Annual Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute this past June. Earn CE from the comfort of your own home! Each session lasts 90 minutes and is worth 1.5 contact hours. APNA members will also enjoy special member pricing. Click here for more information & ordering instructions.

We've just added new discounts on publications to your list of member benefits!
In partnership with several publishers, we've established a program wherein APNA members receive significant discounts on select publications. Subscribe to an unsurpassed collection of books, journals, and self-assessment tools; purchase essential resource and reference books; or read about how the nursing profession has evolved throughout the twentieth century; all for way below retail prices!
To take advantage of your new discounts, click here and start browsing!

Counseling Points
APNA is developing a three part series of Counseling Points on tobacco dependence entitled Breaking Barriers and Implementing Change. The strength of Counseling Points lies in its ability to deliver the most current and authoritative best practice information directly to care providers of patients with mental health and psychiatric issues. All APNA members will receive a copy of each issue of this free publication by mail. By reading each one and completing its post-test and evaluation, you will be able to earn 1.0 continuing education contact hours per issue. Click here to access the first issue.

Want to get involved?
The APNA APRN-PMH Council is currently looking to recruit additional members.  As APNA represents all facets of psychiatric mental health nursing, input from the nurses who work in advanced practice is essential to fully understand the issues within our profession. The APNA APRN-PMH Council is tasked with identification of issues that affect advanced practice, gathering of pertinent information to better understand these issues, and development of recommendations to the Board of Directors on projects or positions that APNA should undertake. This survey is intended to solicit volunteers to serve on the APRN-PMH Council Steering Committee or Expert Panel. If you are interested in joining the Council, please click here.  The survey will take less than 10 minutes to fill out and we look forward to hearing from you.

Volunteer for the Child & Adolescent Council!
APNA members have expressed an interest in creating a council on Child and Adolescent issues in psychiatric mental health nursing. The APNA Board has accordingly created the Child and Adolescent Council and appointed Sue Odegarden of Minnesota to chair the council. This email is to solicit volunteers to serve on the steering committee and expert panel and to identify those within the membership with an interest in this matter. The APNA Child and Adolescent Council's mission is to develop a community of child/adolescent psychiatric-mental health nurses that will promote evidence-based practice and collaborate to promote excellence in research, education, practice, and policy affecting children, adolescents, and their families. The Council is currently recruiting members to join the Steering Committee of this growing and innovative group. Steering Committee members will have the opportunity to work together on creating a cohesive administrative community by developing policies, procedures, and position statements. Members will also function as a professional resource to members who inquire about best practice, policy, and procedures.
If you are interested in joining us, please click here to complete this survey by September 3, 2010.

What is your most memorable experience as a psychiatric nurse?
Please share your most memorable experience as a psychiatric nurse. We will compile the results and share them at the APNA 24th Annual Conference. We would love to hear from as many of you as possible! Please click here to complete the sentence, "My most memorable experience as a psychiatric nurse is…."

APNA Endorses CPNP Psychiatric Pharmacy Review Course
APNA and the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) are working together to bring you the 2010 APNA-CPNP Psychiatric Pharmacy Review Course at CPNP member rates. This course includes comprehensive outlines, cases, self-assessment questions and online speaker presentations on the most prevalent psychiatric disorders along with 20.0 contact hours of ACPE credit achieved by successfully completing the online examination. The book and presentations can also be purchased as a resource with no ACPE credit and at reduced rates. Log onto cpnp.org/apna to register or view APNA member testimonials, a sample outline and presentation.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), joined by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), reintroduced the Positive Aging Act, S. 3698, which will improve the accessibility and quality of mental health services for the country's rapidly growing older population. Full Story

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought the House back into session during its August recess to vote on legislation to extend the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), among other provisions. While the FMAP hike is not as generous as the increase included in last year's stimulus package (6.2%), it does provide a 3.2% increase for January to March 2001 and 1.2% for April to June. President Obama signed the legislation into law shortly after it was approved by the House. Full Story

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has unveiled an Elections 2010 website  for grassroots advocates to use in reminding candidates for public office that "Mental Health Gets My Vote." Full Story

While the pharmaceutical industry hails the current development of more than 300 medications for psychiatric disorders, few of these are new compounds with mechanisms of action different from those of existing ones, reported Psychiatric News. The largest numbers of new products under study are designed to treat dementia (90), depression (71), schizophrenia (54), and anxiety disorders (38). Full Story

In 2003, a group of scientists and executives from the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, the drug and medical-imaging industries, universities and nonprofit groups joined in a project that experts say had no precedent: a collaborative effort to find the biological markers that show the progression of Alzheimer's disease in the human brain. Now, the effort is bearing fruit with a wealth of recent scientific papers on the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's using methods like PET scans and tests of spinal fluid. More than 100 studies are under way to test drugs that might slow or stop the disease, reported the New York Times on the Web. Full Story

Researchers report that a spinal fluid test can be 100% accurate in identifying patients with significant memory loss who are on their way to developing Alzheimer's disease, reported the New York Times on the Web. Full Story

The National Council launched a new healthcare reform blog, MentalHealthcareReform.org.

Purdue Pharma L.P. (Purdue) has notified the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of a new formulation for their OxyContin tablets.  While similar in appearance to the original formulation, the reformulated tablets have a different marking ("OP") than the currently marketed tablets which have an "OC" marking. The reformulated 60 mg. and 80 mg. tablets are also slightly larger in size than the currently marketed tablets.  The reformulated OxyContin is intended to prevent the medication from being cut, broken, chewed, crushed or dissolved, all of which are methods used to circumvent the timed-release action of the medication.  The reformulated OxyContin product will be released during the month of August 2010 at which time the current OxyContin formulation will no longer be available from Purdue.  It should be noted that the change in OxyContin formulation may cause changes in abuse patterns and illegal activities involving this drug and other opioids

Potential consequences of this change in formulation include the following:

• Increase in acute withdrawal episodes, possibly resulting in increased emergency room visits
• Increase in individuals seeking treatment for addiction
• Increase in abuse of other drugs such as heroin

Photos of both the current and new OxyContin formulations are available on the DEA website, DEA.gov.  To access the photos, on the left side of the homepage, click on "Drug Information Resources", then "OxyContin", then click on the link under "Photos".  Any questions should be directed to the DEA Liaison and Policy Section at (202) 307-7297.

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS), in collaboration with the American Medical Directors Association (AMDA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) has developed a "Tip Sheet for Prescribing Controlled Substances in Long Term Care."  The document, distributed to AGS, AMDA, and AMA members, will assist physicians and other prescribers in their efforts to meet DEA regulations for prescribing controlled substances to residents in long term care. The tip sheet was developed in light of recent enforcement actions by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents. Full Story

The Social Security Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for revised medical criteria for mental disorders in the Federal Register on August 19, 2010. These criteria are used to evaluate claims involving mental disorders under titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act. Comments must be received by November 17, 2010. Click here for the full NPRM. (PDF file)

The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification & Education toolkit has been updated with a set of FAQs. Click here to view the FAQs. (pdf) For more information on the APRN Consensus Model, click here.

In late July, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its Draft Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2010-2015. The plan outlines the Department's goals and strategies for improving the quality and efficiency healthcare in the United States and advancing the health and wellbeing of the nation's population. Click here to view the plan.

A free monograph released by The Joint Commission, entitled "Advancing Effective Communication, Cultural Competence, and Patient-and Family-Centered Care: A Roadmap for Hospitals," provides recommendations to inspire hospitals to address unique patient needs and comply with new standards for patient-centered communication. Full Story