Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder
04:42

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder

Published on: May 2, 2025

Development of a psychiatric pharmacy internship program at a children's hospital

Danielle L Stutzman1, Merlin Ariefdjohan2, Amber Lemons1

  • 1Pediatric Mental Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado, and Department of Pharmacy, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.

American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy : AJHP : Official Journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
|June 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

The Inpatient Psychiatric Pharmacy Intern Shift (INPSY) program trains pharmacy interns in child and adolescent psychiatry. This program enhances intern confidence in managing psychotropic medications for pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychiatry
  • Pharmacy Education
  • Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Background:

  • The need for specialized pediatric psychiatric care is growing.
  • Pharmacy interns require early exposure to child and adolescent psychiatry.
  • Existing training programs may not adequately address psychiatric pharmacy needs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the creation and implementation of the Inpatient Psychiatric Pharmacy Intern Shift (INPSY) program.
  • To optimize psychotropic medication outcomes for pediatric patients in an inpatient psychiatry unit.
  • To provide early exposure to child and adolescent psychiatry for pharmacy interns.

Main Methods:

  • The INPSY program was established at a children's hospital.
  • Pharmacy interns received training and mentorship from psychiatric pharmacists.
  • Interns engaged in medication education, problem identification, and patient communication.

Main Results:

  • Pharmacy interns reported increased confidence in medication education and patient support.
  • Interns demonstrated improved skills in motivational interviewing and problem-solving.
  • The program successfully integrated interns as clinical extenders.

Conclusions:

  • The INPSY program is a feasible and acceptable training strategy.
  • The program aligns with national pediatric psychiatric workforce needs.
  • It builds practical competence and increases exposure to psychiatric pharmacy activities.
Abstract

Keywords:
child and adolescent psychiatrymedication education groupspsychiatric pharmacy

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
Community Based Intervention01:30

Community Based Intervention

Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I01:30

Specialized Care Centers and Settings-I

Specialized care settings or centers are situated in convenient locations within the community and offer care to a specific group or population. They consist of daycare facilities, mental health facilities, rural health facilities, educational institutions, industries, shelters for the homeless, and rehabilitation facilities.
Daycare centers
They provide several functions. Some facilities care for healthy newborns and children whose parents work, while others are medically focused and care for...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...