2 credits
Spring 2025 Lecture Upper Division
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with knowledge and insight regarding the use of medications in persons with mental illness. Instruction will be provided in the following areas (but not limited to): (1) psychiatric disease states; (2) psychiatric medications - usual dosing, adverse effects, drug interactions; (3) clinical use of psychiatric medications in psychiatric pharmacy practice; (4) useful and appropriate monitoring parameters; (5) the interaction of medical illness in the treatment of psychiatric disorders; (6) strategies to improve medication adherence and minimize adverse events; (7) utilization of recognized treatment guidelines in clinical care. Case-based learning will be utilized to emphasize important points in clinical use and monitoring of psychiatric medications and disorders. Permission of instructor required.
Learning Outcomes1Define and understand the DSM-IV, TR diagnostic criteria for selected psychiatric disorders.
2Recognize significant co-morbid psychiatric and medical disorders common in the psychiatric population.
3Classify psychiatric medications based upon FDA-approved and evidence-based reasons for use.
4Characterize psychiatric medications based upon common reason for use, neuropharmacology and mechanism of action, significant adverse events & warnings for use, drug interactions, dosage forms, and usual dose ranges.
5Develop techniques for the critical evaluation of psychiatric literature.
6Apply the psychiatric literature to the clinical treatment of psychiatric disorders.
7Identify applicable treatment guidelines and develop strategies for implementing guidelines in clinical practice.
8Discuss the impact of substance dependence upon the treatment of psychiatric illness.
9Identify drug interactions and adverse events related to complicated psychiatric medication regimens and make sound recommendations for drug therapy.
10Identify potential medication adherence issues and made recommendations to improve medication use and patient outcomes in clinical practice.
11Develop an understanding of the psychiatric treatment team and the role of the pharmacist.
12Apply knowledge learned to clinical case examples.
13Proactively participate and interact during in-class case discussions.
Prerequisites
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.