Press Release, August 30, 2022


For Additional Information Contact Info@aapp.org


The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP), the home association for psychiatric
pharmacists, has changed its name to the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP).

“The new name-American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists (AAPP)-comes as the result of internal
and external forces creating an inflection point for the association,” said Cindy Gutierrez, PharmD, BCPP,
President of the AAPP Board of Directors. “As an association, AAPP is representing a growing number of
psychiatric pharmacists who are heavily engaged in expanded roles in all health care settings and
infusing critical expertise into the health care team. The organization must be laser-focused on the
growth and development of psychiatric pharmacists and support the attainment of the Board Certified
Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP) certification by pharmacists caring for the increasing number of
individuals with mental health conditions to provide expanded patient access to BCPPs.”

The name change aligns with AAPP’s detailed Vision Paper, Positioning Psychiatric Pharmacists to
Improve Mental Health Care, which provides a roadmap for members and partners and will be distilled
and incorporated into all organizational messaging. AAPP will provide all the same important
educational opportunities and programs it has in the past as well as continue to openly welcome all
members and attendees, including international pharmacists, neurologic pharmacists, nurses,
administrators, and any of the hundreds of other roles our potential and current members fulfill.

“As we celebrate 25-years of existence as an association, we are immensely grateful for all those who
came before us to establish the specialty of psychiatric pharmacy and AAPP,” said Gutierrez. “Their
efforts prepared us to be part of the conversation at this pivotal moment in the evolution of mental
health care. The clarity of our role as an organization and who we represent will magnify the impact of
our efforts in the coming years.”

The new name is effective immediately and will be implemented across AAPP’s products and services
and in all 54 AAPP student chapters throughout the calendar year 2023.