This activity is designed to help participants understand and implement the APA Practice Guideline for the Pharmacological Treatment of Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. The case study vignette addresses the appropriate use of pharmacotherapy in patients with alcohol use disorder, describes clinical circumstances when it is indicated, discusses potential risks of its use, and lists conditions/clinical features that are contraindications.

Educational Objectives

• Explain the recommendations in the Practice Guideline for the Pharmacological Treatment of Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
• Describe clinical circumstances in which the use of pharmacotherapy is indicated in an individual with AUD
• Identify the potential risks related to the use of pharmacotherapy in individuals with AUD
• List conditions or clinical features that would be a contraindication to use of naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram

Target Audience

Psychiatrists

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 1 Hour
Program Release: January 4, 2018
Program Review Date: December 2020
Program End: January 4, 2024

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. A multiple-choice quiz is provided based on the content. A passing score of 50% must be achieved. Retakes are available for the test. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the completion date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. 

The APA designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Planners

• Jeremy D. Kidd, MD, MPH, NIDA T32 Research Fellow in Substance Use Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Division on Substance Use Disorders. Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute; Consultant Member, Guideline Writing Group, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
• Laura J. Fochtmann, MD, MBI, Distinguished Service Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacological Sciences and Biomedical Informatics, StonyBrook University School of Medicine; Medical Editor, Practice Guidelines, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests. 
• Victor Reus, MD, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Langley Porter Institute, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine; Chair, Guideline Writing Group, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.
• Jennifer Medicus, Deputy Director, Practice Guidelines, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Reviewer

• Laura J. Fochtmann, MD, MBI, Distinguished Service Professor, Departments of Psychiatry, Pharmacological Sciences and Biomedical Informatics, StonyBrook University School of Medicine; Medical Editor, Practice Guidelines, American Psychiatric Association. Reports no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance