2-hour On-Demand: Abused Drugs

Course Description & Information:

• Drugs are usually beneficial for our patients. All drugs can have adverse or unwanted effects, but usually the risks and benefits are considered before decisions to use the medication are made. There are drugs that are used, not for their therapeutic benefit, but because the user desires specific effects considered pleasurable. Not all of these drugs are illicit. Some are everyday items, their use is not considered negative, are commonplace, and are available over-the-counter, and even on the grocery shelf. Some prescription and illicit medications are used for their CNS effects, and many of these induce tolerance, dependence and abuse. How do we decide when the use of drugs is “abuse”? Is tolerance to a drug a bad thing? Is dependence on a drug harmful? This course will consider drugs, both legal and illegal, that have abuse potential in humans, and the effects each has on major CNS neurotransmitters. Not all drugs are beneficial, and not all tolerance- and dependence-inducing drugs are necessarily dangerous. This course will address why these are so, and expand the participant’s understanding of “abused drugs”. Intermediate level.
• Pharmacist information: ACPE UAN: 0826-9999-24-009-H01-P, IRD: 9-1-2024, ERD: 12-31-2024. Knowledge based activity.
• Expiration Date: 8-31-2024
• Level: Intermediate

Course Objectives:

• Discuss abused drugs that are presented, and their proposed attraction(s) to users.
• Explain the history of presented drugs, and how the drugs are currently made available to users.
• Describe the most common routes of administration, and the observed or reported effects, of each drug.
• Classify the drugs by their general CNS actions, and the proposed mechanisms of drug effects users experience for each drug presented.

Learning Outcome: At least 80% of class participants will score 70% or greater on course post-test.

Course Credit: 2 Contact Hours

Accreditations: View Course Accreditations

Who Should Take This Course:

• Pharmacists, Dietitians, Nursing professionals (2 hours of pharmacotherapeutic credit), Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy professionals (Florida Only), and other medical professionals.

Certificate Requirements:

• Completion of course materials.
• Completion of course post-test (70%) and course evaluation.

Faculty: Blaine Smith, PhD, PharmD

How to Take an On-Demand Seminar: View Tutorial