Services
Continuing Education Program
The PEC-ABP, established in 2006, provides new tools in the area of distance medical education. The program has acquired a system that enables the video transmission of classes via the ABP site. The objective is to offer greater convenience and immediacy of access.
The associates enrolled in the PEC-ABP are given passworded access to classes. During the transmission, it is possible to have access to the support material recommended by the teacher, as well as to a summary of their professional qualifications. The system also enables the associate, at the end of the course, to print a conclusion certificate, after successfully completing on online questionnaire.
Due to the continental dimensions of the country, the PEC-ABP also conducts traditional classes in the regions farther from the large centers.
The Title of Specialist in Psychiatry
Since 1989, the ABP has been awarding the Título de Especialista em Psiquiatria (TEP, Title of Specialist in Psychiatry) to recognize associates who have proven their technical skills in the profession. One a year, during the CBP, a test is given. The test is offered to all physicians who have concluded their residency in psychiatry or who can effectively document five years of professional practice in the specialty.
After obtaining the TEP, an ABP associated psychiatrist is eligible for one of the certificates offered for specific areas: Forensic Psychiatry, Infant and Adolescent Psychiatry and Geriatric Psychiatry. The certificate is awarded to those who pass the tests given at the annual conference in the Association.
The Certificate of Professional Currency
By determination of the Federal Medical Council, Brazilian physicians need to renew the title of specialist every five years by obtaining a Certificate of Professional Currency. This document is obtained by physicians of several specialties through duly documented participation in various academic activities.
The ABP has a specialized committee to provide guidance to its associates and register the scientific activities of the Association at the National Accreditation Committee. This is an organ in charge of evaluating and deciding which events are of the quality needed for its participant to compute scores and obtain the Certificate of Professional Currency.
Awards
In order to encourage the scientific production of its associates, the ABP annually grants seven awards. Candidates may submit projects in the area of general psychiatry (“Prof. Ulysses Vianna Filho” Award), mental health (“Prof. Luiz Cerqueira” Award), forensic psychiatry (“Prof. Álvaro Rubim de Pinho” Award), use of psychoactive substances (“Prof. Oswald Moraes Andrade”), child and adolescent psychiatry (“Prof. Zaldo Rocha” Award) and geriatric psychiatry. There is also a specific category for recently graduated students, which aims to encourage the scientific production of those who are new to the specialty. This is the “Young Psychiatrist” award.
Psychopharmacological Surveillance
The Sistema de Psicofarmacovigilância (Psifavi, Psychopharmacological Surveillance System) was created in 1998 by the coordinator of the Centro Brasileiro de Informações sobre Drogas Psicotrópicas (Cebrid, Brazilian Center for Information on Psychotropic drugs), Elisaldo Carlini, with the collaboration of several states, in order to report suspected adverse reactions to psychoactive drugs. At the time, the Reações Adversas de Medicamentos Psicoativos (RAMPs, Adverse Reactions to Psychoactive Drugs) questionnaire was developed and distributed by mail to a list of 3000 physicians.
In 2006, the ABP and Cebrid, aiming to enlarge and advance the program, signed a cooperation agreement in order to create the “electronic version” of the Psifavi system. Therefore, all ABP associates may have access to the RAMPs questionnaire on the internet, which enables the constant update on dosages and adverse reactions to psychoactive drugs in a rapid and safe manner.
This is a tool for psychiatry, not only as a resource, but also as an aid prior to the prescription of a drug. When encouraging specialists to update their knowledge, the ABP and Cebrid make a statutory contribution. In addition, physicians in Brazil, even in the most remote locations, have access to the latest generation of information.
The ABP Community
The ABP is open to discussing the major themes in psychiatry and mental health as a social and cultural factor, clarifying doubts and publishing news that can assist people, minimize prejudice against the ill, improve prevention and promote well-being.
The ABP Community space has the objective of compiling brief and clear information on the main disorders, syndromes and diseases related to mental health for patients and family.
The community can, through this information, identify the main symptoms, treatment suggestions and even learn about the origin and essential characteristics of the disease.
One of the projects of ABP Community is the “Psychiatry for a Better Life” project, which puts specialists and researchers of the major mental health themes in direct contact with the population, through free activities, such as lectures and open interviews, conducted in the cities in which scientific ABP events take part.
