The primary goal of this Institute is to provide practical information to the primary care clinician on use of psychotropic drugs in their clinical practices. After participating in this Institute, attendees will be able to discuss the efficacy and safety of, and ways to implement and monitor, commonly used pediatric psychopharmacotherapies. In addition, attendees will be able to apply medication management strategies presented in this Institute to their own pediatric practice.

This Institute begins with a presentation on evidence-based pharmacotherapy for ADHD, and how this research can inform everyday clinical practice. This is followed by a session on the management of pediatric depression in a primary care setting, which covers the epidemiology and impact of depression in children and adolescents and the assessment and diagnosis of depression in children and adolescents, including differential conditions. Also, the roles of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments of pediatric depression are addressed, including the risks and benefits of antidepressant medications and how to discuss these issues with patients and their families. A talk on anxiety disorders addresses practical clinical aspects spanning from diagnostic issues, to treatment selection, to long-term management, with specific discussions regarding the roles of CBT and pharmacotherapies. The next presentations covers key aspects the primary care physician needs to know about pediatric bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PDD, and aggression. Finally, the Institute concludes with case studies, allowing attendees to practically apply the didactic information from the Institute to vignettes and to their own practices.