BCPP case studies
BCPP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) credential is a specialty certification for licensed pharmacists whose practice centers on the medication management of people with psychiatric and substance use disorders. It is administered by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS), an independent credentialing body; earning it is a personal professional distinction and does not imply any affiliation with, or endorsement by, BPS beyond holding the certification. The BCPP case studies are 5 cases and about 4,604 words.
1Missed Blood Draws, a New Mood Stabilizer, and a Quit Date: Triaging Risk in a Patient on Clozapine
R.M., 34, has treatment-resistant schizophrenia and has taken clozapine 400 mg daily for 14 weeks; his trough level at week 10 was 380 ng/mL. Three weeks ago valproate 1000 mg daily was added for mood lability.
900 words, about 5 min2Ataxia, Confusion, and a Creatinine That Doubled: Deconstructing a Lithium Toxicity
J.T., 58, has bipolar I disorder maintained on lithium 900 mg nightly; her level three months ago was 0.82 mmol/L. Lisinopril 10 mg daily was started four weeks ago for hypertension.
802 words, about 4 min3Bipolar Depression at Nine Weeks' Gestation: Weighing Relapse Against Teratogenicity
A 29-year-old woman with bipolar I disorder is 9 weeks pregnant and presents with a six-week history of depressed mood, anhedonia, insomnia, guilt, and poor concentration; MADRS is 27. Three years ago she had a manic episode with psychotic features requiring a three-week hospitalization, occurring while she was taking no medication.
996 words, about 5 min4A 90-Minute Bus Ride and Three Missed Appointments: Choosing and Delivering a Long-Acting Injectable
D.K., 23, was diagnosed with first-episode schizophrenia 15 months ago. He responded well to risperidone 4 mg daily but stopped it after four months because he gained 9 kg and "felt fine." He relapsed five months later and was hospitalized.
946 words, about 5 min5"Noninferior Means It's No Better": Appraising a Noninferiority Trial for a 2-Monthly Antipsychotic
Your inpatient team asks you to appraise a 12-month, double-blind RCT of a new 2-monthly injectable antipsychotic (drug X) versus a monthly comparator in 604 adults with schizophrenia. Relapse occurred in 20.1% with X and 22.3% with the comparator; hazard ratio 0.89 (95% CI 0.62–1.28).
960 words, about 5 min