Psychopharmacology for Special Populations: Basics, Pediatric, Geriatric

Master psychopharmacology and become the go-to prescriber for mental health care. This self-paced online course builds upon prior pharmacologic knowledge to address advanced concepts in the clinical management of psychiatric symptoms.

Mastering Mental Health Rx

With the shortage of mental health providers in Wisconsin, primary care providers are increasingly responsible for managing mental health conditions. This course aims to enhance the psychopharmacotherapeutic knowledge of primary care providers to ensure safe and effective prescribing practices.

Building on foundational pharmacologic principles, participants will engage in an in-depth analysis of psychotropic medications, focusing on their mechanisms of action, indications for use, dosing, side effects, drug interactions, contraindications, and patient education. The course also explores the integration of psychotropic agents with complementary and alternative medicine, considering differential diagnoses.

This course offers access to world-class instructors who are subject matter experts through their work with UW-Eau Claire’s College of Nursing and the Mayo Clinic Health Care System. With no live log-on requirements, participants can conveniently complete this self-paced online course at a time and location that works best with their schedules. Earn up to 10.5 contact hours by progressing through the recorded lectures and knowledge assessments in the following modules.

Course Modules:

• The Basics of Psychopharmacology (1.5 hours)
• Pediatric Psychopharmacology (4.5 hours)
• Geriatric Psychopharmacology (3.25 hours)
• Controlled Substance Prescribing (1.25 hours)

Partnerships

Course content was developed in collaboration with UW-Eau Claire’s College of Nursing and the Mayo Clinic Health Care System. 

Regularly priced at $399, this professional development course is offered free of charge through the Workforce Innovation Grant, a joint effort through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. 

Who should attend

Advance Practice RNs (NP, CNS, CRNA, CNM) and RNs or LPNs in Specialty Areas (Psychiatric Mental Health, Family Practice, Primary Care) and other Primary Care Providers involved in mental health prescribing and the clinical management of psychiatric symptoms.

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  Miriam A. Sward, DNP, RN, APNP, PMHNP-BC, ANP-BC

  Miriam A. Sward, DNP, is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Graduate Nursing Program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She is a dual board-certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her clinical interests include helping people process adverse childhood experiences even in advanced years and finding a purpose in retirement. She helped to develop a mental health nursing online textbook for Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (WITC). And is currently developing a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner DNP track at UWEC. Drawing on over 17 years of experience in the nursing field in a multitude of roles, Dr. Sward uses her knowledge and expertise to teach practitioners ways to manage psychopharmacology in the geriatric population.

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  Dr. Christopher Fuguet, MD

  Dr. Fuguet is the current Chief Resident in the Department of Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His current research interests include better characterizing the presentation and clinical course of catatonia resulting from various etiologies. In the clinical setting, he is most interested in community mental health and finding ways to offer care to those with severe and persistent mental illness.