Psychiatric pharmacy

Psychiatric pharmacists… Who are we? What is important to us? What are our goals? In 2011, the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) published a “Psychiatric Pharmacy Manifesto” designed to address these questions.1 The term manifesto comes from the Latin word manifestus, which means clear or obvious. For some, manifesto carries a negative connotation, since it has more recently been associated with revolution or violent social change; but used according to its true purpose, it allows a public and clear declaration of our values, intentions, and beliefs. The CPNP-endorsed manifesto serves as a touchstone of our specialty as we educate those within and outside the profession regarding the impact we can bring to the care of patients with psychiatric disorders. By calling attention to the manifesto—key tenets of which are summarized below— and through other educational efforts, the priorities and goals of psychiatric pharmacy can be shared with the larger pharmacy community.