Psychopharmacology: Practice and Contexts is a practical and accessible text to assist nursing and allied health students in their understanding of psychotropic medications. It covers treatment monitoring through a range of care plans and interventions and provides strategies for minimising risk. The text is designed to allow readers to develop insight into the great variability in the ways in which individuals experience mental health disorders, and the equally variable fashion in which each person has the potential to experience both benefit and harm as a result of drug treatment.
Key features: Oriented around the various groups of mental disorders, allowing students to assimilate information related to medication in the context of the mental health disorders that people experience. Each chapter begins with the information needed to build knowledge that can be applied later in thoughtful analysis of the numerous case vignettes throughout the book. Critical thinking exercises related to a particular disorder assist the student reader to consider a range of pharmacologic care contexts, challenges and practices.
PART 1: PRACTICE1. Psychotropic Drug Use: History and ContextPsychological treatmentBiological treatmentA brief history of modern psychotropic drug treatmentMajor changes in psychotropic prescribing: the last 20 yearsAustralian National Medicinal Drug Policy and Quality Use of MedicinesNew Zealand Drug PolicyMedication-related problemsMultidisciplinary care and psychotropic pharmacotherapyRecovery framework for mental health service provision2. Law, Ethics and AccountabilityThe legal and strategic context for mental disordersInvoluntary treatmentSeclusion and restraintEthical principlesEthical decision-making and ethical theories3. PharmacokineticsPharmacokinetics – the science of drug movementsPharmacokinetics and nursing practice4. PharmacodynamicsPharmacodynamics – the science of drug actionsPharmacodynamics and nursing practice5. Medication Administration and CalculationsBasic mathematical skillsDrug calculationsMedication administrationPatient/client and carer education PART 2: CONTEXT6. Mood DisordersThe spectrum of mood disturbanceNon-pharmacological treatment of mood disordersPharmacotherapy for mood disordersGeneral principles of treatment for bipolar disorder7. Anxiety DisordersAnxiety is part of life, not always an illnessNon-pharmacological treatment of anxiety disordersGeneral principles of pharmacotherapy for anxiety disordersCommonly encountered anxiety disorders and their treatment8. Schizophrenia and Other PsychosesPsychosis – a set of symptoms, not a diseaseSchizophreniaAntipsychotic medicationsAdverse effects of antipsychotic drugsDrug interactions with antipsychoticsAdherence and antipsychotic drug treatment9. Substance Use DisordersWhat are substance disorders and how do they relate to those withmental illness?Care considerations for people with substance use disorders10. Mental Illness in Children and AdolescentsSpecial issues in child and adolescent psychiatryAttention deficit/hyperactivity disorderAutism spectrum disordersTic disordersGeneral psychiatry for children11. Older PeopleThe physical effects of ageingMultiple diseases – multiple medicinesCognitive disorders (including dementia)Other comorbiditiesIncreasing susceptibility to side effects of medicinesBeers list (medication list)Drugs and falls in the older person12. Mental Illness in Special PopulationsEating disordersPersonality disordersSleep disordersDrug-induced psychiatric syndromesPain and psychiatryComplementary medicinesDrugs in pregnancy and lactation PART 3: ADVANCE PRACTICE IN CONTEXT13. Adherence and ConcordanceThe global burden of disability of chronic conditionsAdherence versus complianceConcordanceThe student nurse’s experience of medication managementSome considerations regarding medicines and adherence or non-adherence14. Nurse Practitioner and Other Advanced Practice RolesAdvanced practiceNurse practitionersNurse practitioner competency standardsPrescribing medications as an advanced nursing practice for NPsMedicare Benefits Scheme and PharmaceuticalBenefits Scheme for the nurse practitionerA person-centred approach to NP prescribing in the context of mental illness
Dr Karen-leigh Edward is Associate Professor, Nursing Research Unit, Australian Catholic University, and Director/Chair St Vincent's Private Hospital (Melb) Nursing Research Unit Dr Chris Alderman is Director of Pharmacy, Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia and Associate Professor, Pharmacy Practice, QUMPRC, University of South Australia
