Addictions Psychopharmacology from the National and International Perspective | via NMSU
(13.5 Hours)
ONLINE

About This Workshop

This training module will continue our study of psychopharmacological considerations and treatment in special populations. In this class, the emphasis is on the biopsychosocial aspects of Substance Use Disorders (SUDS). Addiction is a primary, chronic, neurobiological disease, with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. Addiction is characterized by behaviors that include one or more of the following: impaired control over drug use, compulsive use, continued use despite harm, and craving. Basic science and core concepts include brain reward circuitry, epidemiology, and pharmacology. The drug groups that will be discussed in detail: alcohol /sedative hypnotics; opioids; nicotine; cannabis; cocaine/amphetamines; psychedelics and NPS (New Psychoactive Substances). Within each group, we will review the background/history, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicities and the current treatment of addiction.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the background/history/discovery and current epidemiology of the 5 major classes of psychoactive drugs: Stimulants; psychedelics; opiates; cannabis; sedative-hypnotics
2. Identify and describe the 3 phases of the neurobiology of addiction
3. Name the primary brain circuits associated with the 3 phases of the biological bases of addiction
4. List the 5 schedules of Controlled Substances and give an example of one drug in each schedule
5. List 3 types of pharmacological effects produced by the new class of NPS (Novel Psychoactive Substances).
6. Identify the current DSM 5 definition of drug abuse, list 5 diagnostic signs and symptoms, and the 3 severity indices
7. Describe the demographic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on national and international epidemiology of substance abuse
8. Identify 3 drugs that have shown experimental evidence of benefit in the treatment of addiction
9. Articulate the primary Mechanism of Action of each of the 5 drug abuse classes
10. Name at least 3 drugs within each drug class
11. Categorize 5 physiological and/or psychological acute effects of one drug in each of the 5 major drugs abuse classes
12. Label 3 symptoms of intoxication/overdose for one drug in each of 3 psychoactive drug classes
13. Identify 3 symptoms of withdrawal for one drug in each of 3 psychoactive drug classes
14. Assemble 3 current pharmacological/psychological treatments for withdrawal symptoms
15. Identify 3 current pharmacological treatments for addiction
16. Provide 5 examples of the ‘substitution’ treatment of nicotine addiction
17. Explain 2 approaches of the ‘harm-reduction’ treatment of nicotine addiction