Clozapine Monitoring: New Guidelines for the Post-REMS Era
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
Release Date: 05/01/2026
Bipolar Disorder, Lithium, and Pregnancy: What the Evidence Says
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore the complex risk-versus-risk decision of using lithium during pregnancy and breastfeeding. How do you weigh the near-certainty of mood relapse against fetal cardiac risks? Dr. Amanda Koire provides a practical framework every clinician needs when managing bipolar disorder in reproductive-age women. Faculty: Amanda Koire, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Clozapine Monitoring: New Guidelines for the Post-REMS Era
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore new international guidelines for clozapine monitoring following the FDA's REMS rescission. Should patients on stable clozapine continue lifelong monthly blood draws, or can we safely reduce monitoring after two years? Dr. Seeber discusses how these evidence-based recommendations balance patient burden with safety. Faculty: Oliver Freudenreich, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Prescribing Through Pregnancy: Dosing, Levels, and Relapse Risk
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore how pregnancy reshapes the pharmacokinetics of psychiatric medications — and what that means for your patients. Can stopping a mood stabilizer actually put a pregnancy at greater risk than continuing it? Dr. Amanda Koire breaks down the evidence. Faculty: Amanda Koire, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Bright Light Therapy for Bipolar Depression
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore bright light therapy (BLT) as a powerful adjunctive treatment for bipolar depression — examining the neuroscience behind it, how to implement it clinically, and why it may work faster than medication alone. Could something as simple as light reshape how we treat mood disorders? Faculty: Kristin Raj, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Lithium: Managing Cosmetic and Sexual Side Effects
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore three often-overlooked side effects of lithium — sexual dysfunction, hair loss, and skin changes like acne and psoriasis — and discuss practical, evidence-based strategies for managing each one without abandoning a medication that works. Faculty: David Osser, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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KarXT: A New Era in Antipsychotics?
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore KarXT, a newly FDA-approved antipsychotic with a groundbreaking cholinergic mechanism, through the lens of a single powerful metric: the Number Needed to Treat. Could an NNT of 5 change how you approach treatment-resistant schizophrenia? Faculty: Oliver Freudenreich, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Lithium: GI and Weight Side Effect Management
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore how to keep your patients on lithium by getting ahead of two of its most common challenges — weight gain and gastrointestinal side effects. Dr. David Osser from Harvard Medical School shares practical, proactive strategies to anticipate, prevent, and manage these issues before they drive your patients away from a medication that could truly change their lives. Faculty: David Osser, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Beyond Weight Loss: Can Semaglutide Treat Alcohol Use Disorder?
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore a surprising new contender in the fight against alcohol use disorder — semaglutide. Could the blockbuster weight-loss drug also curb heavy drinking? We examine the first randomized controlled trial testing this GLP-1 receptor agonist specifically for AUD. Faculty: David A. Gorelick, M.D., Ph.D., D.L.F.A.P.A., F.A.S.A.M. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Managing Lithium's Renal Risks: Evidence-Based Strategies
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore lithium's renal side effects with Dr. David Osser from Harvard Medical School. How can we keep patients safe while using this highly effective medication? Discover the real risk numbers, prevention strategies, and evidence-based monitoring approaches that protect kidney function long-term. Faculty: David Osser, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
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Cariprazine for Bipolar Illness in the Elderly: What the Data Show
Psychopharmacology and Psychiatry Updates
In this episode, we explore cariprazine's efficacy and safety in older adults with bipolar I disorder. Does age change how we should dose this medication? Discover evidence-based insights on treating both depression and mania in elderly patients, plus critical pearls on monitoring for akathisia. Faculty: Kristin Raj, M.D. Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.
info_outlineIn this episode, we explore new international guidelines for clozapine monitoring following the FDA's REMS rescission. Should patients on stable clozapine continue lifelong monthly blood draws, or can we safely reduce monitoring after two years? Dr. Seeber discusses how these evidence-based recommendations balance patient burden with safety.
Faculty: Oliver Freudenreich, M.D.
Host: Richard Seeber, M.D.