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Psychopharmacology and Intro to EBM (PSYT90118)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Overview
| Availability | Term 2 - Online Term 3 - Online Term 4 - Online |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject will delve into principles of psychopharmacology and an introduction to evidence based medicine (EBM).
Prescribing medications is one of the core skills of doctors worldwide. This subject provides a comprehensive overview of the psychotropic medications used by doctors to treat mental health problems. It provides an understanding of the classification of these compounds, mechanism of action, efficacy, side effects and important drug interactions. This subject will also provide a basic understanding of critical appraisal skills which students will be able to use to assess the quality of scientific literature and make objective scientific judgements on the applicability and usefulness to their local population. It will also provide an understanding of good clinical practice guidelines to provide improved care.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject, students will be expected to:
- develop an advanced understanding of the mechanism of action psychopharmacological agents used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders including antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and hypnotics;
- be able to articulate and describe the basic pharmacological principles and their relevance to clinical prescribing;
- understand efficacy, side effects and drug interactions of psychotropic medications;
- learn how to critically appraise and synthesise available literature and understand the concepts around application of this to the context the student is working in;
- be able to identify relevant clinical practice guidelines and critically appraise, examine and assess their application in treatment; and
- have an advanced capacity to critically compare and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of an evidence base in the field of mental health.
Last updated: 3 November 2022