On this page are links, powerpoint files and other material used in the series of Psychopharmacology Workshops run by Iain McGregor around Australia in 2007 and 2008.

Powerpoint presentations and word files

• Module 1: Drug use, drug action and drug addiction (PDF)
• Module 2A: Benzodiazepines (PDF)
• Module 2B: Antidepressants (PDF)
• Module 3A: Antipsychotics (PDF)
• Module 3B: Mood stabilizers (PDF)
• Module 4: Drugs for ADHD (PDF)

• Self test 1: Celebrity toxicology
• Self test 2: Name that drug and what it does (part 1)
• Self test 3: Name that drug and what it does (part 2)
• Self test 4: Case studies

• Discussion document: Dying for a cure
• Discussion document: Prescription rights for clinical psychologists

Recommended books

• Psychiatric drugs explained (David Healey)
• The SANE guide to medication and other treatments (SANE Australia)
• Dying for a cure (Rebecca Beddoe)
• An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness (Kay Redfield Jamison)
• Essential Psychopharmacology, 3rd edition (Stephen Stahl)

General resources

• Medical Journal of Australia:psychiatry topics
• Australian Prescriber (free access to many excellent articles on psychotropic drugs)
• Australian Family Physician (free access to many excellent articles and audio about psychotropic drugs)
• Depressionnet (current depression treatments in Australia)
• Black Dog Institute (excellent source for information on depression and bipolar disorder treatments in Australia)
• Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia): adverse drugs reactions bulletin (breaking news on "drugs gone wrong")
• The "Can Do" Initiative: management of substance abuse and mental health in general practice in Australia
• Psychotropical Research: Psychopharmacology Update Notes (Australian expert on psychotropic drugs)
• All in the mind (downloadable ABC radio programs)
• Ask a patient (site where people rate and report effects of prescription drugs)

How drugs affect the brain

• Wikipedia neuroscience portal
• Brain repair and neurogenesis
• The Jellinek website: neuropharmacology for beginners
• Mouse party: light hearted look at neuropharmacology
• Drug effects on the brain: animations
• How neurotransmission works (animations)
• The brain from top to bottom

Illicit drug use in Australia

• 2007 National Drug Strategy Household Survey
• The winnable war on drugs report
• The Australian Drug Foundation

Psychotropic drug use in Australia

• PBS number of prescriptions and expenditure to June 2007
• PBS statistics on individual items
• PBS schedule on-line

Which psychotropic drugs are best for which disorder?

• Beyond blue: antidepressant comparison
• UK NICE guidelines for mental health and behavioural conditions
• CATIE Study of typical v atypical antipsychotics
• STAR*D study for antidepressants: second and third line treatments
• TADS: treating adolescents with depression study
• STEP-BD study for bipolar depression
• RANZCP clinical practice guidelines

• Consumer reports: antidepressants
• Consumer reports: antipsychotics and drugs for bipolar disorder
• Consumer reports: drugs for insomnia
• Consumer reports: drugs for Alzheimer's disease
• Consumer reports: drugs for ADHD

Questionable practices in psychotropic prescribing and in the pharmaceutical industry

• Antidepressants: How pharmaceutical companies have deceived doctors (Dr Ken Gillman)
• Zyprexa: Eli Lilly settles huge number of lawsuits
• Zyprexa: Radio National program about Zyprexa use in Australia and its side effects
• SSRI withdrawal effects (David Healey)
• Furious seasons (well informed blog by "long term psych patient" that is critical of pharmaceutical industry)
• Healthy skepticism (countering misleading promotion in the drug industry)

Case studies

• National prescribing service: case studies

Video, audio and podcast resources

• The Secrets of Seroxat (BBC documentary on the seroxat (paroxetine) scandal)
• All in the Mind: the Zyprexa story
• Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive
• The Medicated Child
• Out of the Shadows (excellent PBS documentary on depression)
• CME Neuroscience (excellent resource containing podcasts about psychiatric drugs)
• Mood disorders psychopharmacology unit (excellent podcasts about depression and bipolar)