Dr. Austin De La Cruz
Houston, TX 77080-3812
Office: 210-392-3163
Dr. Austin De La Cruz, PharmD, BCPP is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. He is a practicing prescriber with extensive experience in pharmacology, psychiatry, neurology, and safe prescribing practices.
He currently provides direct patient care at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas, where he specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders in veterans. He is actively involved in training healthcare professionals and precepting pharmacy students and psychiatric pharmacy residents within a primary care mental health clinic.
In addition to his primary academic role, Dr. De La Cruz holds adjunct and instructor positions at Baylor College of Medicine, University of St. Thomas, and Texas Tech University. His areas of expertise include psychopharmacology, medication safety, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, and the clinical management of psychiatric and neurologic conditions.
Dr. De La Cruz is available for expert legal consultation, case reviews, and expert witness testimony on matters involving pharmacy, psychiatry, pharmacology, and prescribing standards.
- Addiction Medicine
- Alcohol
- Medical Malpractice
- Neuropharmacology
- Neuropsychiatry
- Neuropsychopharmacology
- Pharmacology
- Psychiatry
- Psychopharmacology
- Sleep Medicine
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: - Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.
- Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist (BCPP), Board of Pharmacy Specialties (#911496)
- Pharmacist License, Texas State Board of Pharmacy (#55364)
- Pharmacy Preceptor Certification – Texas State Board of Pharmacy
- Pharmacogenomics Certificate – ASHP
- Teaching Certificate – North Florida/South Georgia VA Health System
- Mental Health First Aid Certification – National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- QPR Suicide Prevention Training – University of Houston
- BLS Certification – American Heart Association - Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: - American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- American Pharmacists Association
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
- Texas Society of Health-System Pharmacists
- Phi Delta Chi Fraternity - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: - Clinical Associate Professor – University of Houston: Psychiatry, Neurology, Substance Use Disorders
- Adjunct Professor at University of St. Thomas PMHNP Program: Clinical Psychopharmacology, Neurobiology of Addiction, Telehealth
- Adjunct Professor at Texas Tech University PMHNP Program: Clinical Psychopharmacology
- Clinical Instructor – Baylor College of Medicine
- Invited Speaker – National and state conferences on topics including prescription stimulant misuse, opioid use disorder, insomnia, benzodiazepine risks, PNES, and interdisciplinary mental health care
- CE Provider – Multiple accredited presentations for pharmacists and clinicians - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Over 5
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Psychiatric pharmacotherapy, safe prescribing practices, adverse drug events, medication misuse, substance use disorder, and standard of care for healthcare clinicians.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 50%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 50%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 1
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: April 2023
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 1
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 1
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 4
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, expert reports, case review, chart review, medication error analysis, standard of care evaluation, deposition and trial testimony.
- Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $400
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $450
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $450
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Travel expenses billed at cost (airfare, lodging, mileage)
Minimum 4-hour billing for depositions and court appearances
Rush review fees may apply for expedited cases
- The Effectiveness of Metformin in Managing Second Generation Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain in Children and Adolescents
- Utilization and Predictors of Adjuvant Metformin for Children and Adolescents on Mixed Receptor Antagonists (Second-Generation Antipsychotics).
- Incidence of Chronic Opioid Use in Previously Opioid-Naïve Patients Receiving Opioids for Analgesia in the Intensive Care Unit
- Kappa opioid receptor antagonism: Are opioids the answer for treatment resistant depression?
- Primary Care of Veterans with HIV Guidelines- Psychoactive Medications & Behavioral Health Chapters
- Concomitant Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Major Depressive Disorder
- Antipsychotics for Pain Management
- Pharmacist Review of Loperamide Abuse
- Current Updates Regarding Antidepressant Prescribing in Cardiovascular Dysfunction
- Management of Insomnia Disorder: Current State of Evidence
- Managing Insomnia Disorder: A Review of the Research for Adults
- Conference Poster Presentations
- General Anxiety, Academic Distress, and Family Distress Among Doctor of Pharmacy Students
- Impact of diversity/life experience scores on the demographic makeup of pharmacy students
- Identifying predictors of generalized anxiety among student pharmacists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
- Differences in Perceived Threat and Efficacy in Managing Opioid Use Disorder versus Alcohol Use Disorder
Available Upon Request