Deprescribing & Polypharmacy: Conference Sessions

MGH 50th Annual Psychopharmacology Conference

October 16–18, 2026 · Boston, MA

• SessionGeriatrics Psychopharmacology

  Jennifer R. Gatchel

  Evening seminar on prescribing considerations unique to older adults.

  Geriatric

AACAP Annual Meeting 2026

October 26–31, 2026 · Atlanta, GA

• LectureReview of Discontinuation Symptoms Secondary to Psychotropic Medications: Strategies in Assessment, Management, and Risk Mitigation

  Conor Wilson

  Reviews psychotropic discontinuation symptoms and approaches to assessing, managing, and reducing risk.

  Child & Adolescent

• CoursePediatric Psychopharmacology and Neurotherapeutics: The When and How of Initiating and Discontinuing Interventions

  Robyn P. Thom · Neera Ghaziuddin · Graham J. Emslie · Robert L. Findling · Raman Baweja · Bekir B. Artukoglu · Lee Wachtel

  Institute organized around starting and stopping treatment across antidepressants, antipsychotics, and stimulants, plus pediatric ECT and the psychotherapeutic dimensions of prescribing, with faculty including Graham Emslie and Robert Findling.

  Antipsychotic PrescribingChild & AdolescentNeuromodulation (ECT, TMS)

• SymposiumUnraveling Polypharmacy in Youth and the Path to Thoughtful Deprescribing

  Gail Ann Edelsohn · Boris Lorberg · Wynne S. Morgan · Terry Git Lee

  Clinical perspectives session on why psychotropic polypharmacy accumulates in young patients and how to deprescribe thoughtfully and safely.

  Child & Adolescent

• LectureBest Practices for Deprescribing and Conservative Prescribing to Avoid Polypharmacy in Borderline Personality Disorder

  Amber R. Lemons

  Discusses deprescribing and conservative prescribing strategies to limit polypharmacy in borderline personality disorder.

  Child & AdolescentPersonality Disorders

• LecturePolypharmacy in Foster Care: Contributing Factors, Trauma-Informed Care, and Deprescribing

  Wynne S. Morgan

  Examines why youth in foster care often receive multiple psychotropic medications, and how trauma-informed approaches can guide deprescribing.

  Child & AdolescentPTSD & Trauma

See all 15 deprescribing & polypharmacy sessions at this meeting →

APNA 40th Annual Conference

October 28–31, 2026 · Phoenix, AZ

• WorkshopDecoding Deprescribing Guidelines: Best Prescribing Practices 2026

  Joanne Iennaco

  Synthesizes current deprescribing recommendations across drug classes and age groups, integrating both RN and APRN roles. Pharmacology-eligible.

• WorkshopEverything Benzodiazepines: A Comprehensive Update for 2026

  Jeremy Mills

  Full update on benzodiazepine prescribing trends, safety evidence, and structured discontinuation strategies. Pharmacology-eligible.

  Benzodiazepines & SedativesDrug Interactions & Safety

• LectureDo No Harm: A Safer Approach to Deprescribing Antidepressants

  Lisa Patterson

  Distinguishes antidepressant withdrawal from relapse and introduces hyperbolic tapering for safer discontinuation. Pharmacology-eligible.

  Depression

• LectureAchieving Benzodiazepine Withdrawal in Older Adults: Best Practices for Success

  Constance Noll

  Individualized slow-taper strategies for benzodiazepine deprescribing in older adults, accounting for social context. Pharmacology-eligible.

  Benzodiazepines & SedativesGeriatric

• LecturePolypharmacy Management in Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review and Implications for Psychiatric Nursing Practice

  Nkem Chiedu

  Systematic review of deprescribing and Beers Criteria use, highlighting psychiatric nurses' role in spotting medication risks in older adults. Pharmacology-eligible.

  Geriatric

NEI Fall Congress 2026

November 5–8, 2026 · Colorado Springs, CO

• SymposiumLetting Go: The Art and Science of Deprescribing in Psychiatry

  Jeffrey Robert Strawn · Stephen M. Stahl

  Practical guidance on when and how to taper or discontinue psychiatric medications safely.

• SymposiumOld Time Pharmaco: Contemporary Evidence for Retiring Older Therapies and Optimizing Clozapine and Lithium Use

  Jonathan M. Meyer

  Reviews older psychotropics with limited modern utility and current best practices for clozapine and lithium.

  ClozapineLithium & Mood Stabilizers

AAAP 37th Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium

November 12–15, 2026 · Memphis, TN

• PosterComparative Efficacy of Pharmacological Interventions for Benzodiazepine Discontinuation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

  Henrique Oliva

  Network meta-analysis of drug strategies for benzodiazepine discontinuation.

  Benzodiazepines & Sedatives

• PosterWhen Muscle Relaxation Unravels: A Case of Tizanidine Withdrawal

  Claudia Cruz

  Case of withdrawal following tizanidine use.

  Drug Interactions & SafetySubstance Use Disorders

Psych Congress 2026

September 15–19, 2026 · New Orleans, LA

• LectureComplex Psychopharmacology in Bipolar Disorder: Combination Therapy, Dosing Pearls & Side-Effect Navigation

  Joseph Goldberg

  Advanced guidance on sequencing lithium, anticonvulsants, and atypical antipsychotics in bipolar disorder, with case vignettes on inadequate response, intolerability, and polypharmacy.

  Antipsychotic PrescribingBipolar DisorderLithium & Mood Stabilizers

• SymposiumDeprescribing Definitions and Decisions Differ by Diagnosis: A Deep Dive for Bipolar & Schizophrenia Disorders

  Joseph Goldberg · Peter Weiden

  Compares how polypharmacy patterns and risk-benefit calculations shape deprescribing decisions differently in bipolar disorder versus schizophrenia.

  Bipolar DisorderSchizophrenia & Psychosis

• PlenaryCultivating Clinical Wisdom in Deprescribing - Practical Considerations for Psychiatry

  Rakesh Jain · Saundra Jain · Arwen Podesta · Charles Raison

  Closing session on when and how to reduce psychotropic regimens: identifying candidates, shared decision-making, and safe tapering while weighing relapse and withdrawal risks.