On Demand (eLearning)
Course Overview
The recommended prerequisite for this course is Basic Pharmacology in Mental Health and Substance Use. This self-paced asyncronous course can be taken alone; however, it qualifies as an elective for the Concurrent Disorders Certificate Program or the Opioid Dependence Treatment Certificate Program. Electives must be taken within a two-year period after completing the core course; any courses taken prior to the core program will not count toward the certificate. See links for Certificate Program requirements if you are pursuing either of those programs.
This course explores the needs of patients taking prescribed medications and who also have substance use problems. The course covers the most common interactions between psychiatric medications and substance of abuse. We suggest learners set aside 3 - 4 hours per week at any time to complete the weekly modules in this self-directed course within the course time frame. An expert pharmacist is available in the discussion forums to respond to posted questions.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- define drug interaction theory
- describe the relationship between symptoms of mental health disorders and substance use
- identify and explain interactions between antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and drugs of abuse
- identify and explain interactions between antipsychotic medications, mood stabilizers and drugs of abuse
- identify and explain drug interactions between methadone or buprenorphine and prescribed drugs as well as drugs of abuse
- learn how to anticipate, prevent and manage common interactions.
Certification and Accreditation
- College of Family Physicians of Canada Mainpro+® credits (1 credit/hour) Self-Learning: 20.5 credits
- Royal College Maintenance of Certification Section 1: 20.5 hours
This course can be taken alone; however, it qualifies as an elective for the Concurrent Disorders Certificate Program and the Opioid Dependence Treatment Certificate Program.
Delivery Method
Online
Please note: This course requires you to use an internet browser, but the system does not support Microsoft Internet Explorer. Do not use that to access the course.
Instead, use one of the following:
- Apple Safari
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
For more details, please read the browser and compatibility support page.
Cancellation Policy
Please review the cancellation policy.
