Psychopharmacology
a training module
This module looks at how medicines and illicit drugs work and why they can be addictive. Connecting the pharmacology with the psychology of addiction is an essential skill for anyone helping people to recover from their addiction - it also makes addictive behaviours a fascinating field to study.
You cannot prescribe your way out of an addiction problem but medications can be helpful along the recovery journey. This module covers the knowledge base required for prescribers and for any practitioner who is interested in why people use drugs in the ways that they do.
The module has been designed for use in conjunction with result4addiction. It will take you to the relevant content on the website. You can work through the module topics at your own pace, however, to keep up a momentum we suggest you set a timetable. Each topic has a variety of tasks: watching videos, reading scientific articles, taking in checklists, for example. The four topics are summarised below. Each topic has three tasks to complete. The first task will guide you to the website pages where you can find important background information - explore these pages as much as you like. The second task raises a controversial issue in the form of a debating point - the idea is to stimulate your thinking about good practice.
For the third task, ideally you will have convened, or joined, a Study Group (this could be a peer group, just one colleague, or a trusted supervisor) for your topic discussions. Arrange your meeting times right away and use these as the deadline for completion of each topic. The aim of the Study Group is to sharpen up your thoughts on each topic and reflect on your current practice.
Be sure to add your reflections after each task and save them for your portfolio of professional development. Click where you see the lightbulb icon.
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Topic One - the role of pharmacological interventions
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First task: explore the resources for this topic
The first topic of this module explores how pharmacological interventions fit into an overall treatment plan. Some of this is covering ground you will have looked at if you did the Talking to People or Psychosocial Interventions modules. Pharmacotherapies are complementary to psychosocial interventions.
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Second task: the debate
This task takes the form of a debate to raise a controversial subject about which you are expected to form an opinion. The motion is: 'alcohol minimum pricing is the only way to reduce alcohol related harms'.
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Third task: your study group discussion
In discussion with your study group, however you have construed it, clarify your thoughts on the role of pharmacotherapies in treating addiction and how you might change your practice. Be mindful that pharmacotherapies need to be used alongside a psychosocial intervention.
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Topic Two - why are drugs addictive?
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First task: explore the resources for this topic
This topic asks the fundamental question: 'Why are drugs addictive?' - indeed why are some behaviours addictive. It is about the connections between the pharmacological properties of a drug and the psychology of addiction. These general principles apply equally to medicinal and recreational drugs.
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Second task: the debate
The motion for debate with this topic is: 'categorical diagnostic data are the backbone of good prescribing practice'.
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Third task: your study group discussion
In this task you are invited, with your study group, to discuss your understanding of why drugs may be addictive and how this is relevant to your practice. This understanding is at the heart of planning how best to help people.
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Topic Three - how do psychoactive drugs work?
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First task: explore the resources for this topic
This topic is central to making sense of people’s experiences of taking drugs or psychoactive medications. Practitioners can apply the principles described here to make rational prescribing and treatment planning decisions including an understanding of alcohol and drug harms and harm reduction strategies.
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Second task: the debate
The motion of this debate is: 'drug consumption rooms should be available to everybody with an addiction problem'.
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Third task: your study group discussion
Use your study group discussion to check that you understand how drugs work, how this can help explain what service users are telling you and how it might change your practice. Be mindful of the interplay between pharmacology and psychology.
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Topic Four - how good are pharmacotherapies?
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First task: explore the resources for this topic
There is a lot to take in from this topic which is about the role of pharmacotherapies and also the outcomes for specific medications. It will be clear at this stage of the module that pharmacotherapies are rarely meant to be used on their own, rather they supplement psychosocial interventions; the effectiveness of medications needs to be read in this context
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Second task: the debate
In this debate you are asked to consider the motion: 'psychoactive drugs should be available over the counter'.
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Third task: your study group discussion
Your study group discussion can focus on your knowledge of how and when to use pharmacotherapies and how you might change your practice. Be mindful that 'you cannot prescribe your way out of addiction problems'.
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Meet your tutors…
Dr Gillian Tober
Consultant Addiction Psychologist and previously Head of Training at Leeds Addiction Unit
Dr Duncan Raistrick
Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist and previously Clinical Director at Leeds Addiction Unit
Your learning outcomes…
You will be able to…
understand why drugs, and some behaviours, are addictive
demonstrate knowledge of how drugs work
understand the place for pharmacotherapies and how effective they are