Learn more about the duties, practice settings, typical workdays, and educational opportunities, as well as personal advice from pharmacists in this practice area.
What is psychiatric pharmacy?
Psychiatric pharmacy is a career path in which pharmacy practitioners specialize in mental health care after receiving specialized training in psychiatry and neurology. This includes an in-depth knowledge of mental health medications, conditions for which they are indicated, and management of their adverse effects and/or monitoring parameters. Due to the type of medications utilized and the high rate of crossover, psychiatry pharmacy practitioners also work with patients who have neurological conditions and/or who are taking neurological medications. The psychiatric pharmacist works with mental health teams, primary care providers, and directly with patients in order to treat them as a whole and overcome any barriers which may exist with a care plan.
Where does a psychiatric pharmacist work?
A psychiatric pharmacist has a variety of practice settings. The practice setting might be government-funded, such as the Veterans Health Administration, associated with an academic medical center, or part of a private practice facility. Some examples of practice areas include inpatient psychiatric hospitals/units, inpatient medical hospitals as part of a psychiatric consult team, outpatient mental health care or primary care clinics, prisons and correctional facilities, or clinical faculty work at a college/school of pharmacy.
What does a typical workday look like for a psychiatric pharmacist?
For psychiatric pharmacists, there is not a typical workday due to the variety of practice settings in which they may participate. Some examples include the following:
For a faculty member, a portion of the day is typically spent on activities outlined in the inpatient psychiatric hospital role. The remaining portion of the day would then be spent at a college/school of pharmacy in activities such as pharmacy student education as part of the curriculum, attendance at various committee meetings, and precepting student pharmacists and pharmacy residents.
For an inpatient psychiatric hospital pharmacist, activities at the site could include monitoring of patients on high-risk medications; completing pharmacy consultations for therapeutic drug monitoring, medication reconciliation, and patient education; reviewing assigned patient charts for potential interventions; attending multidisciplinary patient rounds and/or treatment teams; providing patient education and/or participating in interviews to determine response to medication therapy; participating on facility and/or departmental committees in areas such as quality improvement, patient safety, and formulary management; and precepting student pharmacists and pharmacy residents.
For an outpatient primary care clinic pharmacist, duties involve collaboration with the clinic providers or under the guidance of a collaborative practice agreement in managing patients with mental health conditions. Depending on the degree of independence allowed by the practice, the psychiatric pharmacist may see patients concurrently with the primary care provider or independently to manage pharmacotherapy-related issues such as evaluation of responses to medication therapy, medication adjustments, biochemical monitoring, and adverse effect management. Depending on the clinic set-up and legislation, the psychiatric pharmacist may also bill payors for their services.
What educational opportunities are available for pharmacists in this area?
In addition to residency training, many pursue board certification in psychiatric pharmacy. You can visit Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) – Psychiatric Pharmacy. Other certifications may be available or pursued depending on the area of specialization.
How can I learn more about this career path?
ASHP has a dedicated Neurology and Psychology Resource Page for more information on this specialty practice.
Member Career Profiles
Kayla Johnson, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCPP
Vanderbilt University Medical Center – Nashville, TN
What interested you in pharmacy and this career path?
“My family has a history of careers in the healthcare field, and I was urged to consider this path from an early age. Unfortunately, I have a nasty habit of fainting at the sight of blood, so being a nurse or physician was out of the question! I was fortunate to find a pharmacy technician position in a community setting while completing my undergraduate education and found fulfillment in helping patients with their prescription and over-the-counter needs. This began my general journey to becoming a pharmacist, thought it was not until my second year of pharmacy school that I discovered psychiatric pharmacy. During our pharmacotherapy sequence, the lack of a straightforward or definitive answer to the patient scenarios intrigued me, as there was always more than one right answer. This required you to consider individual patient characteristics and ensure the patient had a voice in their care plan. Several years later, I am now a practicing psychiatric pharmacist and have not regretted my decision to pursue this career.”
What advice do you have for someone interested in this career field?
“I recommend developing the skills to accept that there is more than one right choice when treating patients and to consider the patient as a whole. Additionally, I recommend a desire to analyze primary literature. Being prepared to research questions or unique scenarios is also encouraged. Finally, I recommend pursuing a professional practice experience during your pharmacy school training, either a formal IPPE/APPE experience or shadowing a psychiatric pharmacist.”