Chris Aiken, MD.

CLINICAL UPDATE

Prior Authorizations for Psychiatric Medications: A Primer for Frustrated Clinicians

April 5, 2022

Chris Aiken, MD. and Tony Thrasher, DO, DFAPA

Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Tony Thrasher, DO, DFAPA. President, American Association for Emergency Psychiatry (AAEP). Medical Director of Crisis Services, Milwaukee County Behavioral Health. Clinical Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Practical tips for dealing with the latest throng of bureaucracy in mental health care, including strategies for reducing paperwork, low-cost pharmacies, and apps that authorize meds.

An Off-Label Guide to Gabapentin

January 31, 2022

Rajesh R. Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA. and Chris Aiken, MD.

Rajesh R. Tampi, MD, MS, DFAPA. Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. Chairman, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and Chief of Geriatric Psychiatry, Cleveland Clinic. Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Off-label gabapentin (Neurontin) got a bad rep when it missed the mark in bipolar disorder, but there may be something worth salvaging in this drug. Here, we weigh its pros and cons for anxiety, substance use disorders, sleep, pain, and hot flashes, and compare it to its underutilized cousin, pregabalin (Lyrica).

The New Billing Codes

January 4, 2022

Susan L. Siegfreid, MD. and Chris Aiken, MD.

Susan L. Siegfreid, MD. Practicing psychiatrist, Northern Utah Psychiatric Consulting, LLC, North Ogden, UT. Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR; practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Outpatient billing codes recently changed, and we think for the better. Instead of getting paid to write lengthy notes, the new codes reward clinicians for turning their attention where it belongs: On the patient.

Is Ramelteon an Effective Hypnotic?

November 12, 2020

Randall Moore, MD, JD. and Chris Aiken, MD.

Randall Moore, MD, JD. Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine. Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Moore and Dr. Aiken have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Ramelteon (Rozerem) is one of the safer sleep medications, but how well does its efficacy stack up against other hypnotics? The answer surprised us.

Nuplazid: Novel Mechanism, Modest Benefits

March 30, 2020

Randall Moore, MD, JD. and Chris Aiken, MD.

Randall Moore, MD, JD. Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Texas A & M University Health Science Center College of Medicine. Chris Aiken, MD. Editor-in-Chief of TCPR. Practicing psychiatrist, Winston-Salem, NC. Dr. Moore and Dr. Aiken have disclosed that they have no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies pertaining to this educational activity.

Pimavanserin (Nuplazid) aims to treat psychosis without blocking dopamine. Though FDA-approved for psychosis associated with Parkinson’s disease, the drug is being tested in a host of other disorders: Depression, dementia, and sexual dysfunction.