The 5th Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines International Conference:
Assuring evidence-based prescribing in mental illness – the expanding Maudsley Guideline series
took place in London on Thursday 10th April 2025
Hybrid conference (In person and online)
Attracting delegates from across the globe, the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines International conference presents the latest evidence-based research and developments in clinical psychopharmacology.
In July 2012, an inaugural conference “outlining the evidence behind the guidance” was held to celebrate the 11th edition followed by a second conference in September 2014 to launch the 12th edition with the theme “Getting up-to-date: assimilating the latest evidence into practical guidance”. Both conferences were attended by over two hundred delegates from around the world and provided the opportunity to hear written guidelines presented by the contributors and to participate in a question and answer session.
The third Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines International Conference “From evidence to practice” was held on Monday 17 December 2018 to mark the publication of the 13th edition. Over 200 clinicians attended; more than 50 from outside the UK.
The fourth Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines International Conference Clinical Psychopharmacology in the time of COVID was held remotely on Wednesday 20th October 2021. Coinciding with publication of the 14th edition, the lead editors of the Guidelines and other key contributors, many of them leaders in their fields, have outlined the evidence behind the guidelines.
The fifth Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines International Conference Assuring Evidence-based Prescribing in Mental Illness – the expanding Maudsley Guideline series was held both in-person and online. Tickets included online access to the NEW (15th) edition of the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry.
For questions about the Conference or to be added to the mailing list please contact: PrescribingGuidelines@slam.nhs.uk
Programme and Bios:
| 8-9.00 | Registration and welcome |
| 9.00 – 9.15 | Conference introduction Professor David Taylor Professor of Psychopharmacology, King’s College London Director of Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust David has been the lead author and editor of the MPG since 1994. He is also a co-author of all of the other books in the Maudsley Guidelines series. Professor Taylor has wide research interests and has published around 450 papers. Most recently he has authored reports of outcomes with very long-acting injections and on genetic testing for benign ethnic neutropenia in people receiving clozapine. He has also recently developed criteria for identifying clozapine-related agranulocytosis. |
| 9.15 – 9.45 | Anticholinergic action and dementia Dr Delia Bishara Consultant Pharmacist for Mental Health of Older Adults and Dementia South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Dr Bishara is Consultant Pharmacist for Mental Health of Older Adults and Dementia at South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. A key contributor to improving prescribing safety in dementia, Dr Bishara has regularly updated the older adult sections of the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines for the past 15 years. |
| 9.45 – 10.15 | An update on clozapine Professor David Taylor Professor of Psychopharmacology, King’s College London Director of Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust |
| 10.15 – 10.45 | Prescribing in pregnancy and breast feeding Shubhra Mace Senior Pharmacist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Care and Professional Lead, South East London Integrated Care System Honorary Senior Lecturer, King’s College London With over 25 years’ experience in female inpatient services and primary care, Shubhra has made significant contributions to mental health pharmacy, publishing over 20 research papers and serving as an honorary senior clinical lecturer at King’s College London. |
| 10.45 – 11.15 | Morning break |
| 11.15-11.45 | Akathisia – history, measurement, relevance in modern psychiatry Professor Thomas Barnes Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry Imperial College London Professor Barnes is renowned for his expertise in schizophrenia and psychopharmacology. With over 375 publications, including the widely used Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, he has made a significant impact on the practice of psychiatry. He is also a co-author of the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines and has served on numerous expert advisory groups, including NICE and the BAP, from whom he received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. |
| 11.45-12.15 | Treating mental illness in the context of physical disease Dr Siobhan Gee Deputy Director of Pharmacy and Consultant Pharmacist for Liaison Psychiatry, South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Clinical Director, Mind & Body programme King’s Health Partners Recognised internationally as a leading authority on psychiatric medicines, Dr Gee is a contributing author to the world-renowned Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines in Psychiatry. Her new book, the Maudsley Prescribing Guidelines for Mental Health Conditions in Physical Illness was published in October 2024. Dr Gee’s work as a Clinical Director for the Mind & Body programme focuses on reducing the health inequalities experienced by people living with long term physical health and mental health conditions. |
| 12.15-12.45 | Considering body and mind when treating people with serious mental illness: insights from the 2nd edition of the Maudsley Practice Guidelines for Physical Health Conditions in Psychiatry Dr Toby Pillinger Psychiatrist, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Clinical lecturer, King’s College London Dr Pillinger studied medicine at The University of Oxford. He is a member of both the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Psychiatrists, training in medicine at the Hammersmith and Royal Brompton hospitals, and in psychiatry at the Maudsley. Dr Pillinger is a clinical lecturer at the IoPPN, King’s College London. His predominant research interest is in the mind-body continuum in serious mental illness, and he is lead editor of The Maudsley Practice Guidelines for Physical Health Conditions in Psychiatry. |
| 12.45-13.45 | Lunch break |
| 13.45-14.15 | Advances in the treatment of opioid dependence Dr Nicola Kalk Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist, Kings College Hospital Addiction Care Team Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the Addictions Department of the IOPPN, King’s College London Dr Kalk is a Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist leading the King’s College Hospital Addiction Care Team and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at King’s College London. Her expertise spans clinical care, research, and policy—playing a key role in shaping addiction treatment strategies. She is the co-principal investigator of the BUILD2depot study, exploring a novel approach to methadone-to-buprenorphine depot transfer, and a co-investigator in key studies evaluating alcohol care teams (ProACTIVE) and drug strategy implementation (D-SITAR). Dr Kalk also contributes to national guidance on opioid and alcohol dependence and serves on the scientific advisory board of the National Programme on Substance Use Mortality. |
| 14.15-14.45 | Ketamine – formulations and indications Professor Allan Young Chair of Academic Psychiatry and Head of the Division of Psychiatry in the Department of Brain Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine Imperial College London Professor Young is Chair of Academic Psychiatry at Imperial College London and a world-leading expert in mood disorders, with over 800 publications and an H-index of 141. His groundbreaking research has shaped the field, with recent work featured in Lancet Psychiatry, Nature Medicine and JAMA Psychiatry. |
| 14.45-15.15 | Stopping psychotropic drugs Dr Mark Horowitz Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry, North East London NHS Foundation Trust Visiting Lecturer in Psychopharmacology, King’s College London Dr Horowitz co-authored the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines, endorsed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the Royal Australian College of General Practice. His work has shaped NICE guidelines on the safe tapering of psychiatric medications and influenced NHS training materials on antidepressant withdrawal. A prolific contributor to journals such as The Lancet Psychiatry and JAMA Psychiatry, Dr Horowitz combines professional expertise with personal insight into the complexities of deprescribing. |
| 15.15-15.30 | Afternoon break |
| 15.30-16.00 | Long-acting antipsychotics – first line treatment for schizophrenia Professor David Taylor Professor of Psychopharmacology, King’s College London Director of Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust |
| 16.00-16.45 | Panel discussion Professor David Taylor Professor Allan Young Professor Thomas Barnes Dr Siobhan Gee Dr Mark Horowitz Dr Toby Pillinger |
| 16.45-17.00 | Closing remarks Professor David Taylor Professor of Psychopharmacology, King’s College London Director of Pharmacy and Pathology, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust |
To learn more about our esteemed speakers and how to connect with them, click here.
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