PAC4472 - Integrated therapeutics: Mental Health - 2018

This unit covers the principles of the:

• Management of mental health disorders to ensure optimal treatment for patients
• Chemistry, pharmacology and clinical aspects of medications used for mental health disorders. These as well as pathophysiology of mental health disorders are presented in an integrated fashion
• Necessary skills required for the provision of pharmacy services in mental health

At the end of this unit, student will be able to:

1. Appreciate how dysfunction of the central nervous system results in mental health disorders.
2. Describe the pathophysiology of a range of common mental health disorders.
3. Understand the chemistry of medications used in the management of mental health disorders.
4. Examine how structure activity relationships for drugs relate to the management of mental health disorders.
5. Examine how the pharmacology of the drugs relates to the management of mental health disorders.
6. Predict how drugs of abuse can affect mental health.
7. Make preliminary diagnoses and differentiation of mental health disorders, and determine when a patient requires referral to a medical practitioner.
8. Recommend how to manage mental health disorders including drug and non-drug therapies.
9. Appreciate what is current best practice for the management of mental health disorders, with an emphasis on the role of the pharmacist.
10. Evaluate and critically analyse simulated patient information, with any associated treatment regimes, to develop appropriate recommendations for therapy to optimise health outcomes.

Final exam: 60%; in-semester assessment: 40%.

Contact hours for on-campus students:

• Thirty three 1-hour lectures
• Two 3-hour workshops
• One 1.5-hour workshop
• Two .75 semester tests

See also Unit timetable information

http://www.monash.edu/pharm/current/