This activity was originally presented as a part of Psychiatry Pharmacy Day of Education 2025.
Program Description
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyable. Standard treatments for MDD include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), but many individuals do not respond to these conventional therapies. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is defined as the failure to respond or achieve remission after 2 or more trials of antidepressant medications for MDD. Treatment strategies may involve switching antidepressants, combining them, or adding atypical antipsychotics. Unfortunately, these approaches often carry significant adverse effects, leading to medication nonadherence. Several novel therapies with distinct mechanisms of action have emerged, offering potential improvements in efficacy and safety profiles for the treatment of MDD and TRD. Given the complexity and evolving nature of the treatment landscape for MDD and TRD, pharmacists must stay informed about emerging agents to help optimize clinical outcomes. This activity will provide an overview of the clinical progression from MDD to TRD, explore new and emerging therapies for TRD, and examine the pharmacist’s role in managing TRD.
Target audience: Ambulatory Care Pharmacist, Health System Pharmacist, Specialty Pharmacist
Type of activity: Application
Release date: July 22, 2025
Expiration date: July 22, 2026
Time to complete activity: 1.5 hours
Learner level: Foundational, Intermediate
Fee: Free
Educational Objectives
At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:
1. Explain the clinical progression from major depressive disorder to treatment-resistant depression (TRD)
2. Examine the use of novel therapies for TRD on patient outcomes.
3. Analyze clinical data for new and emerging therapies in the management of TRD
4. Investigate pharmacist-led strategies to improve patient outcomes in the management of TRD.
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