Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders: Background

Pharmacists possess the training and skills necessary to administer certain long-acting injectable (LAI) medications used in the management of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. Through collaborative practice agreements, pharmacists can administer Long Acting Injectables in almost every state. In some states, including the state of Connecticut, this occurs via collaborative agreements, and necessary injection and disease state training. Administration of these medications by pharmacists can increase accessibility of care for patients.

UConn has developed web-based continuing pharmacy education activity to enhance pharmacists’ skills and help them make sound clinical decisions about long acting injectables administration. This course includes eight hours of CPE (or eight hours of credit), required by the State of Connecticut. Successful completion of these eight hours (with four activities consisting of three hours online pre-requisite work and five hours of LIVE CE) will earn the pharmacist a Certificate in Long-Acting Injectables of Psychotropic Medication.

The three activities below are available separately for $17/hour each, or as pre-requisites for the entire Long-Acting Injectable Psychotropic Medication Pharmacist Certificate Training Program at $299 which includes both the prerequisites and the full day of LIVE training.

If desired, pharmacists can register for the entire Long-Acting Injectable Psychotropic Medication Pharmacist Certificate Training Program

or for the individual activities. The Certificate consists of three activities in our online selection, and a 5 hour LIVE activity.

You may register for individual topics at $17/CE Credit Hour, or for the Entire LAIA Certificate at $299.00 which includes 5 hours of LIVE CE and the 3 online pre-requisites listed below.

You must register for ALL 4 activities to receive the bundled pricing of $299.00

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Criteria for Quality and Interpretive Guidelines, The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy requires that faculty disclose any relationship that the faculty may have with commercial entities whose products or services may be mentioned in the activity.

Dr. Waters is a consultant with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. She will discuss all drugs without bias. All financial interests with ineligible companies (as noted) have been mitigated.

Hour 1: Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders: Background

1. A 38-year-old patient with an unknown psychiatric history is dropped off at the emergency department by police after being found wandering the streets and knocking on doors at random. The patient admits that they believe they are being monitored by the FBI and that “the mafia” wants to recruit them as a spy. The patient is observed having a conversation with themselves while alone in the examination room.

Which of the following positive symptoms is the patient likely experiencing?
A. Psychosis and auditory hallucinations
B. Auditory hallucinations and delusions
C. Delusions and anhedonia
D. Paranoia and agitation

2. Which of the following is the correct term for fixed, false beliefs that patients with schizophrenia may experience?
A. Delusions
B. Hallucinations
C. Disorganized speech
D. Catatonia

3. A patient with schizophrenia has experienced both positive and negative symptoms for several years. They are now presenting with signs of mania, including pressured speech and grandiosity. Which of the following is true?
A. The patient’s diagnosis will likely change to schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type
B. The patient’s diagnosis will likely change to schizoaffective disorder, depressive type
C. The patient will now be diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
D. The patient will now be diagnosed with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder

4. Which of the following is true about bipolar disorder?
A. The most common time that patients are diagnosed is during childhood
B. Most patients are initially diagnosed with schizophrenia
C. It has a higher mortality rate than major depressive disorder
D. Type II bipolar disorder is associated with more severe episodes of mania than type I

5. Most patients with bipolar disorder spend the majority of their time in which mood phase?
A. Mania
B. Depression
C. Hypomania
D. Euthymia

6. A patient with bipolar disorder presents to their outpatient provider and reports that they believe they are on the verge of a “breakthrough” and will soon become a world-famous author once their manuscript is published. They have recently stopped going to work and have been writing “all day and all night” for the past week. They also report spending thousands of dollars on a new computer so that they have “the best equipment” with which to write their manuscript.
Which of the following symptoms of mania is the patient displaying?
A. Grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, increased goal directed activity
B. Flight of ideas, distractibility, grandiosity
C. Disorganized thoughts, decreased need for sleep, flight of ideas
D. Confusion, excessive spending, distractibility

7. Patient NP was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, type II approximately 5 years ago. They have rarely missed work due to hypomanic symptoms, and are generally able to perform all day-to-day activities without impairment. Following a breakup, NP begins to display signs of grandiosity, flight of ideas, decreased sleep, and increased spending. They also begin to hear the voice of their ex-partner telling them that they are worthless.

Which of the following is most appropriate?
A. NP’s diagnosis should be changed to bipolar disorder type I
B. NP’s diagnosis should remain the same
C. NP’s diagnosis should be changed to schizoaffective disorder
D. NP’s diagnosis should be changed to bipolar disorder, mixed type

8. Which of the following is a risk factor for the development of a substance use disorder?
A. Female gender
B. Age > 65 years
C. Co-occurring psychiatric disorder
D. Parenthood

9. Which type of opioid receptor contributes to the stimulation of the dopamine-related reward system?
A. Mu-opioid receptor
B. Kappa-opioid receptor
C. Delta-opioid receptor
D. Beta-opioid receptors

Law: Psychedelic Drugs: Can They Make the “Trip” to the Pharmacy Shelf?-RECORDED WEBINAR

The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are eligible to participate in this application-based activity and will receive 1.0 CE Hour for completing the activity (ACPE UAN 0009-0000-22-017-H03-P), passing the quiz with a grade of 70% or better, and completing an online evaluation. Statements of credit are available via the CPE Monitor online system and your participation will be recorded with CPE Monitor within 72 hours of submission.

The material presented here does not necessarily reflect the views of The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy or its co-sponsor affiliates. These materials may discuss uses and dosages for therapeutic products, processes, procedures and inferred diagnoses that have not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. A qualified health care professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product discussed. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information and data before treating patients or employing any therapies described in this continuing education activity.

Schwarting Webinar 2023 Post-Test

1. Review the development of the knowledge of the effects of psychedelic drugs and their potential use in psychiatry, with an emphasis on psilocybin.
2. Characterize the traditional legal classification of psychedelic drugs and modern reconsideration of their legal status.
3. Describe efforts at the state level to expand the medical use of psychedelic drugs.

The tryptamine class of psychedelic drugs (e.g., LSD, psilocybin) produce their psychedelic/therapeutic effects by acting as agonists of a neurotransmitter in the CNS. What is the relevant neurotransmitter system?

Serotonin
Dopamine
Glutamate

The FDA granted “breakthrough therapy” designation to psilocybin for treatment of a specific condition. What condition is it?

Schizophrenia
Treatment resistant depression
Post traumatic stress disorder

Which feature distinguishes a C-I drug from other controlled substances?

High potential for abuse, especially among hi-riskpopulations
Lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision
No currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States

Which state was the first to approve the use of psilocybin for medical use?

California
Oregon
Maryland

A patient considering psilocybin treatment for a psychiatric disorder asks you for advice; he is specifically interested in disadvantages of this type of therapy. What do you tell him?

Use of psychedelic therapy is time-and resource-intensive
Requires multiple treatments with a slow onset of activity
There is a high risk of autonomic side effects and addiction

In the state where medical use of psilocybin was first approved, which of the following statements describes its availability?

Psilocybin can be purchased at retail outlets including pharmacies
Psilocybin is available from any therapist throughout the state
Psilocybin is only available in state licensed clinics

Patient Safety: Pharmacy Metrics-Recorded Webinar

The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are eligible to participate in this application-based activity and will receive up to 1.0 CE Hours (or 0.1 CEUs) for completing the activity ACPE UAN 0009-0000-23-026-H05-T, passing the quiz with a grade of 70% or better, and completing an online evaluation. Statements of credit are available via the CPE Monitor online system and your participation will be recorded with CPE Monitor within 72 hours of submission.

1. Which of the following is NOT a use for metrics in pharmacies?
A. Quantify workflow
B. Exhaust staff
C. Establish comparators

2. Patient-centered metrics are based on which of the following?
A. Profits
B. Public health initiatives
C. Patient complaints

3. _____ is a metric used to assess productivity.
A. Time-to-fill
B. Rate of medication errors
C. Out-of-stock prescriptions

4. Which of the following is a good way to reach vaccination metrics?
A. Letting the patient contact the pharmacy about vaccinations
B. Reminding patients of vaccinations at the register
C. Relying on advertising to encourage patients

5. What does SMART goals, a great way to develop an approach to improve metrics, stand for?
A. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound
B. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourceful, Time-Bound
C. Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Reasonable, Time-Bound

6. What is the most important skill in the workplace when tackling metrics?
A. Speed
B. Communication
C. Knowledge

7. Many metrics focus on efficiency. What other consideration is crucial?
A. Type of pharmacy
B. Patient safety
C. Workload or volume

8. Select the statement that is TRUE:
A. Metrics usually refer to a general aspect of pharmacy tasks, so they are the same in community and clinical settings.
B. While metrics often refer to a general aspect of pharmacy tasks, they can vary greatly between community and clinical settings.
C. While metrics often refer to a general aspect of pharmacy tasks, pharmacies should stay away from standard metrics and develop new approaches.

9. Super Tech is worried about her pharmacy’s time-to-fill metric. Wonder Pharmacist is focused on inventory metrics. Three months go by and they haven’t made good progress on either. Why?
A. They are working alone on each metric, but need to be working together.
B. It’s not possible to work on two metrics at the same time.
C. Improving time-to-fill metrics will adversely influence inventory metrics.

10. Which of the following activity falls heavily on pharmacy technicians and contributes heavily to pharmacy metrics in the community setting?
A. Vaccinations
B. Insurance and billing
C. In-person patient interaction

Replacement Immunization Certificates

Have you lost or misplaced your Immunization Certificate? If you attended the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy’s “Immunization Training for Pharmacists” or you completed your Immunization Training as a UConn School of Pharmacy student, and need a replacement certificate, you can order your replacement copy online. The cost is $15 for the certificate. Just add to your cart!

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT:
The University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

Disclaimer:
The material presented here does not necessarily reflect the views of The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy or its co-sponsor affiliates. These materials may discuss uses and dosages for therapeutic products, processes, procedures and inferred diagnoses that have not been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. A qualified health care professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product discussed. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information and data before treating patients or employing any therapies described in this continuing education activity.

CT Law Review LIVE Event-2026

Are you new to Connecticut?

Do you need to take the Connecticut Law Exam for licensure?

MPJE CT Law Review 2026

THIS WILL BE both IN PERSON and LIVE STREAMED.

Thursday, May 14, 2026
Time: 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Location: Pharmacy Biology Building Room 131
Cost: $200
There is a fee for parking in the North Garage

REGISTER

Typical Schedule:

8:20-8:30 Check-In
8:30-5:00 Law Review with break for lunch

Lunch will be provided, let us know if you will be attending in person!

Please contact Alicia Scolaro at alicia.scolaro@uconn.edu if you have any dietary restrictions.

Click to order 2025 Law Review Handouts

Study Guide/Handouts from the 2026 program will be available for $50.

CT Law Review Handouts

Are you new to Connecticut?

Do you need to take the Connecticut Law Exam for licensure?

Study Guide/Handouts from the 2025 program are now available for $50.

To Order the 2025 Handouts-$50

NAPLEX Calculation Review LIVE Event-2026

Are you studying for the NAPLEX EXAM?

NAPLEX Pharmacy Calculations Review 2026

Live Event-THIS WILL BE A LIVE IN-PERSON Event (no streaming)

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
Where: Pharmacy Biology Building (PBB) Room 131
Time: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Cost: $0

You MUST Register (even though there is no fee)

There is a fee for parking in the North Garage

Typical Schedule:

Friday

8:30-9:00     Check in and Presentation of Program and Review
9:00- 10:00 Diagnostic Test Administration
10:00-10:45 Review Answers t0 Diagnostic Test
10:45-11:00   Break
11:00-12:00   Students work on problem sets
12:00-1:00     Lunch
1:00-4:00       NAPLEX Calculations workshop

Lunch will be provided, please contact Alicia Scolaro at alicia.scolaro@uconn.edu with any dietary restrictions

Anticoagulation Traineeship Certificate Program

The University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy and the UConn Health Center Outpatient Anticoagulation Clinic, as well as William W. Backus Hospital Outpatient Care Center have developed 2-day practice-based ACPE certificate continuing education activity for registered pharmacists and nurses who are interested in the clinical management of patients on anticoagulant therapy and/or who are looking to expand their practice to involve patient management of outpatient anticoagulation therapy. This traineeship will provide you with both the clinical and administrative aspects of a pharmacist-managed outpatient anticoagulation clinic. The activity features ample time to individualize your learning experience. A “Certificate of Completion” will be awarded upon successful completion of the traineeship.

“This was an excellent experience that was highly integrated in an actual practice experience. The entire staff was welcoming and allowed me to fully immerse myself in order to maximize experience and take away significant clinical experience that I can translate into my own practice. I would highly recommend this course.” -PM

“…grateful for the opportunity to practice patient interviews and get other pharmacists’ professional opinions. Going through the objectives was helpful and helped increase my confidence…” –MS

“I had a very successful and wonderful learning experience that I will treasure and WILL apply to my practice ASAP” – LKD

“.….very comprehensive 2 days. I was able to see a lot!” – MS

Target Audience

This certificate program is for registered pharmacists and nurses who are interested in the clinical management of patients on anticoagulant therapy and/or who are looking to expand their practice to involve patient management of outpatient anticoagulation therapy.

Traineeship Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of the 2 day traineeship, pharmacists will be able to:

Conduct patients interviews
Evaluate current medications as it relates to anticoagulation therapy
Describe the proper technique for obtaining point-of- care INR testing
Adjust anticoagulant therapy for a patient based on desired outcome
Review trends in the patient medical records
Prepare a patient-specific monitoring plan
Formulate a note for the patient’s chart outlining your assessment and plan
Describe how to bill for services

Pre-Requisites

All participants must successfully complete the 17.5-hour online training at pharmacy.uconn.edu/academics/ce/anticoagul ation or an equivalent training as approved by the Director of CE and the faculty of the traineeship.
All participants must have a valid pharmacist, MD or nursing license
All participants must provide documentation of current professional liability insurance
All participants must complete the application (below)
A telephone interview will be conducted prior to day 1 to discuss goals and expectations of the A copy of clinic’s policy and procedures will also be forwarded to the participant prior to the visit. Participants are expected to be familiar with the clinic’s policy and point-of-care testing manual.

Locations and Dates

UConn Health Outpatient Services Anticoagulation Clinic 11 South Road Farmington, CT 06030 Suite 230 MC 6237	William W. Backus Hospital Outpatient Care Center 111 Salem Turnpike Norwich, CT 06360
Tuesday/Wednesday April 14-15, 2026	Monday/Tuesday, March 23-24, 2026
Wednesday/Thursday, April 29-30, 2026	Wednesday/Thursday, April 8-9, 2026
	Monday/Tuesday April 27-28, 2026

Email your completed application and proof of liability insurance to heather.kleven@uconn.edu. Once received, UConn will contact you with the date of attendance.

Agenda for Traineeship

Day 1
8:30-9:00 am	Orientation to the clinic and staff, HR forms, review clinic workflow
9:00 am-12:30 pm	Observation of patient interview process, point-of-care testing, dose decision making, and documentation procedures.
12:30 pm-1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm-3:00 pm	Observed patient interviews and documentation
3:00 pm-3:30 pm	Observed telephone patient interviews, and documentation
3:30 pm-4:30 pm	Day 1 review and evaluation
Day 2
8:30 am-9:00 am	Q/A in preparation for day’s work
9:00 am-12:30 pm	Solo telephone patient interviews, and documentation.
12:30 pm -1:00 pm	Lunch
1:00 pm-1:30 pm	Review of morning’s work
1:30 pm-2:30 pm	Solo patient interviews, and documentation.
2:30 pm-4:30 pm	Wrap up Q/A, address individual needs and final evaluation.

Activity Faculty

Anuja Rizal, RPh, PharmD, CACP, John Dempsey Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic Coordinator, Farmington, CT

Elizabeth Biron, PharmD, John Dempsey Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic Pharmacist, Farmington, CT

Damian Green, Pharmacy Technician, John Dempsey Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic, Farmington, CT

Lauren Wallace, Pharmacy Technician, John Dempsey Hospital Anticoagulation Clinic, Farmington, CT

Shally Singh, PharmD, CACP, Ambulatory Care Supervisor, William W. Backus Hospital Hartford Healthcare, Norwich, CT

Faculty Disclosure

None of the activity faculty have anything to disclose.

Activity Fees

Prerequisite Online content: can be found at www.pharmacy.uconn.edu/academics/ce/anticoagulation click on each of the listed activities to register. If you register for the entire bundle, the pricing is discounted to $199 total rather than approximately $17/credit hour.

Live content: Please see above for available traineeship dates. These dates are filled on a first come/first serve basis.

The Registration Fee of $500 includes all costs of the traineeship instruction and printed materials, but does not include the home study pre-requisites.

APPLICATION

Please call Heather at 860-486-2084 for questions. Scan and email your completed application to the address below.

heather.kleven@uconn.edu

There is no reduced fee for UConn faculty, adjunct faculty, preceptors or volunteers for this program

Refunds

The registration fee, less a $75 processing fee, is refundable for those that cancel their registration more than 14 days prior to your scheduled live program. After that time, no refund is available. Participant substitutions may be made at any time.

Grant Funding

There is no grant funding for this activity.

The University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Sixteen contact hours (1.6 CEU’s) of practice-based certificate continuing education credit for pharmacists who participate in the traineeship and pass the competency evaluation with at least a “3” in all of the assessment categories. Credit will be automatically uploaded to the CPE Monitor system, and a certificate of completion will be emailed within 4 weeks of traineeship completion. UAN#0009-0000-26-004-L01-P

Initial release date: March 16, 2026
Planned expiration date: March 16, 2029

A Review of Introductory Statistical Concepts (Optional)

Learning Objectives:

Define a framework for the application of evidence-based medicine to clinical practice List the criteria that contribute to the quality of a trial
Distinguish between categorical and continuous variables and how this impacts outcome assessment in a trial
Interpret descriptive statistics in a given trial
Define, interpret, and calculate a relative risk, odds ratio, relative and absolute risk, and number need to treat
Use a 95% confidence interval to determine clinical and statistical significance
Define type I and type II error and their impact on trial results

Diana Sobieraj, PharmD
Assistant Professor, Senior Research Scientist and Program Manager
University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy/Hartford Hospital Evidence-based Practice Center, Hartford, CT

Faculty Disclosure

Dr. Sobieraj has no relationship with an ineligible company.

Activity Fees

The fee for this activity is $20

Grant Funding

There is no grant funding for this activity.

Requirements for Successful Completion

The University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Two contact hours (0.2 CEU’s) will be awarded to pharmacists who view the presentation, pass the post test with a 70% or higher, and complete the evaluation. Statement of credit for 0009-0000-21-036-H04-P will be sent to CPE Monitor and can be printed from your CPE Monitor Profile.

Initial release date: July 15, 2021
Planned expiration date: July 15, 2024

Teaching Philosophy and Portfolios (Optional)

Learning Objectives:

Explain the purpose of a teaching philosophy
Describe the components of a philosophy
Discuss the fundamental element of a teaching portfolio
Describe the material from oneself and from others that are contained in a teaching portfolio
Create a draft teaching portfolio

Nathaniel Rickles, PharmD, PhD, BCPP
Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT

Faculty Disclosure

Dr. Rickles does not have any relationship with an ineligible company.

Activity Fees

This activity costs $15

Grant Funding

There is no grant funding for this activity.

Requirements for Successful Completion

The University of Connecticut, School of Pharmacy, is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. One and one half contact hours (0.15 CEU’s) will be awarded to pharmacists who view the presentation, and pass a post test with a 70% or better. Statements of credit for 0009-0000-21-035-H04-P, will be sent to CPE Monitor and can be printed from your CPE Monitor Profile.

Initial release date: July 15, 2021
Planned expiration date: July 15, 2024

About this Course

Target Audience

Pharmacist Learning Objectives

Bundle Options

Accreditation Statement

Grant Funding

Requirements for Successful Completion

Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Disclaimer

Program Content

Program Handouts

Post Test Evaluation

View Questions for Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders: Background

Additional Courses Available for Long Acting Injectable Training

Learning Objectives

Accreditation Statement

Grant Funding

Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Disclaimer

Content

Handouts

Post Test Pharmacist

About this Course

Learning Objectives

Additional Information

Accreditation Statement

Grant Funding

Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Disclaimer

Content

Handouts

Replacement Immunization Certificates

Target Audience

Traineeship Learning Objectives

Pre-Requisites

Locations and Dates

Agenda for Traineeship

Activity Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Activity Fees

The Registration Fee of $500 includes all costs of the traineeship instruction and printed materials, but does not include the home study pre-requisites.

Refunds

Grant Funding

Activity Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Activity Fees

Grant Funding

Requirements for Successful Completion

Activity Faculty

Faculty Disclosure

Activity Fees

Grant Funding

Requirements for Successful Completion