Pharmacology

Through module readings and extensive video links, this one-semester course covers the pharmacology of drugs used in the treatment of mental health disorders and some of the drugs that are commonly abused. Learners are introduced to the basics of pharmacology with a discussion of the pharmaceutical, pharmacokinetic, and pharmacodynamic phases of drug action, and the way that information travels in the nervous system. The course also addresses factors that contribute to epidemics of drug abuse. The mechanism of addiction is explored with a discussion of the role played by receptors and pathways in the brain that are involved in repetitive behaviour. The course continues with a look at the pharmacologic activity of a select group of psychopharmacologic drugs involved in addiction and mental health, and concludes with a discussion of drugs used as reversal agents in overdose situations and those used as maintenance medications to treat addiction.