Target Audience:

Who should attend:

• Clinical faculty from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy
• Clinical staff pharmacists employed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and deployed throughout the hospital campus in unit based roles and centrally in the department of pharmacy's main pharmacy
• Student pharmacy interns currently working within the department of pharmacy
• Certified Pharmacy Technicians

Abstract:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common anxiety disorder that affects many individuals and can significantly affect their quality of life. PTSD is typically a chronic illness and is associated with high rates of psychiatric and medical comorbidity, disability, suffering, drug abuse, and suicide. Trauma-focused psychotherapies have been identified as first-line treatments for PTSD. A variety of medications have also been used to address PTSD symptoms, but only two drugs—sertraline and paroxetine—are approved by the FDA for PTSD. These medications are often used as adjunctive therapy to psychotherapy, however, psychotherapies with or without these medications have been found to be ineffective in a substantial proportion of individuals with PTSD.

3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a synthetic drug that has been around for over a century. In the 1980’s, the rise of the recreational use of “ecstasy” and “molly”, which contains MDMA, led to MDMA being placed on the DEA schedule 1 substance list in 1985. Recently in August of 2017, MDMA was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the FDA and is currently in phase 3 clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy for patients with PTSD. This presentation seeks to review the history of MDMA and its use in clinical psychiatry, summarize the current evidence for the clinical use of MDMA for PTSD, describe the opportunities and challenges with MDMA-assisted therapy, and discuss the potential role of pharmacy in MDMA-assisted therapy.

Educational Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this continuing pharmacy education program, the participant should be able to:

• Review the history of MDMA and its use in clinical psychiatry.
• Summarize the current evidence for the clinical use of MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Describe the opportunities and challenges with MDMA-assisted therapy.
• Discuss the potential role of pharmacy in MDMA-assisted therapy

Pharmacy Continuing Education Credits In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. The assigned universal program number(s) is JA4008223-0000-23-081-H01-P. .  This knowledge-based activity provides 1  contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit

Suggested Additional Reading & Joint Accreditation Statement: This statement supercedes any other statement on this page:

Suggested Additional Reading

1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th ed. Washington D.C.: 2013. Weathers FW, Blake DD, Schnurr PP, Kaloupek DG, Marx BP, Keane TM. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). 2013. Psychological Assessment, 30, 383-395.
2. National Institute of Mental Health. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Retrieved October 12, 2020 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/index.shtml
3. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA/DoD Clinical practice guideline for the management of posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. The Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Work Group, Safety and Value, VA, Washington, DC; Office of Evidence Based Practice, U.S. Army Medical Command. 2017.
4. de la Torre R, Farré M, Roset PN, Pizarro N, Abanades S, Segura M, Segura J, Camí J. Human pharmacology of MDMA: pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and disposition. Ther Drug Monit. 2004 Apr;26(2):137-44.
5. Kalant H. The pharmacology and toxicology of "ecstasy" (MDMA) and related drugs. CMAJ. 2001 Oct 2;165(7):917-28. PMID: 11599334; PMCID: PMC81503. Rauch SL, Shin LM, Phelps EA. Neurocircuitry models of posttraumatic stress disorder and extinction: human neuroimaging research--past, present, and future. Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Aug 15;60(4):376-82.
6. Harris DS, Baggott M, Mendelson JH, Mendelson JE, Jones RT. Subjective and hormonal effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 Aug;162(4):396-405.
7. Passie T, Benzenhöfer U. The History of MDMA as an Underground Drug in the United States, 1960-1979. J Psychoactive Drugs. 2016 Apr-Jun;48(2):67-75.


Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit[s]™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This knowledge-based activity provides 1.0 contact hours of continuing pharmacy education credit.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.