Modern psychopharmacology

DISCUSSION

Modern psychopharmacology is largely the story of chemical neurotransmission. One must be fluent in the language and principles of chemical neurotransmission to:

• Understand the actions of drugs on the brain.
• Grasp the impact of diseases upon the central nervous system.
• Interpret the behavioral consequences of psychiatric medicines.

After studying Module 2: Lecture Materials & Resources, discuss the following:

• Choose an FDA-approved medication currently used in psychiatry.
• Explain the concept of that drug’s half-life.
• How long would it take for that drug to reach a steady state?
• How frequently should the medication be dosed based on the half-life?
• Use Epocrates.com as a reference for this assignment.