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CME Information
Needs Statement/Target Audience
Bipolar disorder is a devastating psychiatric disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and current epidemiology supports the estimate of 5% for the prevalence of bipolar disorder in the general population. Bipolar disorder is not a single disease state, but rather exists as a continuum of more subtle mental state changes. It is a chronic disease, characterized by depressive, manic or hypomanic, and mixed episodes. This psychiatric syndrome is often confused with unipolar depression, as patients with bipolar disorder spend the majority of their symptomatic time in a depressed rather than manic state. Comorbidities, including personality disorders, substance and alcohol abuse or dependence, and anxiety disorders, further complicate the assessment and treatment of this disease. As such, this activity has been planned in accordance with the need to provide psychiatrists and other health care providers with several continuing and emerging areas of importance in the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder.
Release/Expiration Dates
This activity is eligible for CME credit from October 2007 through October 31, 2008.
Accreditation Statement
The France Foundation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Credit Statement
The France Foundation designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Faculty Disclosure
It is the policy of The France Foundation to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all its sponsored educational activities. All faculty participating in this activity will disclose to the participants any significant financial interest or other relationship with manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s)/device(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services included in this educational activity. The intent of this disclosure is not to prevent a faculty member with a relevant financial or other relationship from participating in the activity, but rather to provide participants with information on which they can base their own judgments. The France Foundation has identified and resolved any and all faculty conflicts of interest prior to the release of this activity. Faculty disclosure can be found on the faculty biography.
Henry A. Nasrallah, MD, serves on the advisory boards for and/or receives speaking honoraria from Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, Pfizer, and Vanda. He has received grant and research support from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, Pfizer, and Sanofi.
Stephen M. Strakowski, MD, has served on speakers bureaus for AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical and Bristol- Myers Squibb. He has received grants from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, Forest Laboratories, Nutrition 21 Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Martek Biosciences, Janssen, Repligen and Pfizer and has served as consultant for Eli Lilly and Company, Tikvah, and Pfizer.
Disclaimer
The France Foundation presents this information for educational purposes only. The content is provided solely by faculty who have been selected because of recognized expertise in their field. Participants have the professional responsibility to ensure that products are prescribed and used appropriately on the basis of their own clinical judgment and accepted standards of care. The France Foundation and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals assume no liability for the information herein.
Commercial Support Acknowledgement
This activity is supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
