Psychopharmacology Across the Lifespan

This course provides the didactic background to prepare the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner for the complex role of prescribing psychotropic medications. Students will apply evidence-based knowledge of psychopharmacological principles to treat specific psychiatric and  neurologic conditions and explore management of iatrogenic problems caused by psychopharmacologic agents. Students will examine concepts of neuropsychiatric development, brain function, neuroanatomy, and neurophysiology with relation to psychopharmacotherapeutic agents. Students will learn how to prescribe, manage, and monitor psychopharmacotherapeutics including complementary and alternative agents. Psychopharmacological and other biological therapies for mental illnesses based on current science and practice standards are detailed with emphasis on optimal outcomes in primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Therapeutic challenges such as medication adherence and patient preference in the context of the recovery model are included.