This educational activity is intended for psychiatrists, psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioners (NPs), advanced practice nurses (APRNs), physician assistants (PAs), primary care practitioners (PCPs), nurses, and the full multidisciplinary team of behavioral and mental health professionals who seek to improve the care of patients with mental health disorders.

Session 1: Neurobiological Insights into the Unmet Needs of Patients with Schizophrenia

• Assess the burdens of schizophrenia and common challenges and shortcomings in its treatment 
• Describe the evolution of neurobiological models of schizophrenia, focusing on the role of presynaptic mechanisms and multiple neurotransmitters in addition to dopamine

Session 2: Oral Antipsychotic Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Evidence in Schizophrenia

• Summarize the current utilization of OAPs for schizophrenia  that target postsynaptic D2 receptors and the potential benefits and risks associated with this traditional approach
• Evaluate the latest clinical evidence and treatment implications associated with newer OAPs for schizophrenia that have presynaptic and multimodal mechanisms of action

Session 3: Practical Strategies for Optimal Oral Antipsychotic Treatment of Schizophrenia

• Identify strategies to individualize OAP treatments for patients with schizophrenia, optimizing efficacy and safety with careful consideration of comorbidities and drug-drug interactions
• Apply shared decision-making techniques to improve OAP  adherence, monitoring, and overall treatment outcomes in patients with schizophrenia