PSYCH PHARM FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE 168
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025/2026
- Licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders
- not licensed to prescribe or recommend medication
- can refer client for psychiatric evaluation
- can work on a care team with psychiatrist and or primary care physician -
CORRECT ANSWER Scope of practice can/cant
- negative ions inside, positive ions outside, and the neuron is ready to fire
- takes certain amount of stimuli to fire off a neuron
- people with this d/o do not have the right amount of lithium as that is what is
required to raises threshold back up to normal levels. - CORRECT ANSWER Bipolar
disorders / mood stabilizers
- connected to positive and negative charges of on the neuron because it uses this
for conduction.
- person with this d/o needs less and less stimuli to fire neurons.
- meds raise stimulus threshold for neurons to fire. - CORRECT ANSWER Bipolar
disorder and mood stabilizers need their ions to...
biological condition and medications are needed. - CORRECT ANSWER what is
Bipolar disorder and is there anything this diagnosis requires?
- Salt, trace element, everyone has some in their body.
,- 2nd messenger - taking info from cell wall/receptors and bringing to nucleus, you
need ________ in order to do that.
- normally, small dose of lithium with antipsychotic is prescribed to save the
kidneys. - CORRECT ANSWER Lithium
very small as too much can damage kidneys - CORRECT ANSWER what is the
therapeutic window for lithium?
depart/divalproex- anti-seizure meds; seizures work the same way with neurons
having low threshold to fire.
- cannot be prescribed during pregnancy - CORRECT ANSWER Anticonvulsants
- antidepressants can cause mania in people with bipolar d/o.
- if antidepressant is prescribed it is important to take with an anti-manic (lithium
or anti-seizure).
- not much you can do to treat biphasic/post manic depression by it often resolves
spontaneously.
- you can find out what worked last time to get them out of episode. - CORRECT
ANSWER prescribing differences in bipolar depression
gradual onset, prolonged duration, mild-moderate intensity.
- excessive fear (amygdala & locus coeruleus); excessive worry (CSTD loop)
- high rate of comorbidity and suicide
- Co-morbid with ADHD, substance use, bipolar disorder, pain disorder and sleep
disorders.
- considered both adaptive and maladaptive
, - when maladaptive: lasts too long, occurs at inappropriate times, when
magnitude of anxiety far outweighs the precipitant / triggering event. - CORRECT
ANSWER Anxiety
sudden onset, short duration, intense/severe intensity.
- high correlation between sudden loss and late onset panic disorder 6-12 months
after loss. - CORRECT ANSWER Panic
treatment falls into two categories: rescue and prevention - CORRECT ANSWER
anxiolytics
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors;
- first line of treatment for anxiety disorder
- side effects (big 3)
1. nausea/queasy stomach - because most serotonin receptors are in your
stomach; indicator that the medication is working and being absorbed.
2. weight gain - due to med blocking satiety and slowing the metabolism
3. decreased libido - CORRECT ANSWER SSRIs
serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
- treat depression +anxiety low energy; atypical antidepressant
- venlafaxine and duloxetine - CORRECT ANSWER SNRIs
- calms you down, slows down the heart rate
- you can’t get anxious if your heart cant race!!
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS 2025/2026
- Licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders
- not licensed to prescribe or recommend medication
- can refer client for psychiatric evaluation
- can work on a care team with psychiatrist and or primary care physician -
CORRECT ANSWER Scope of practice can/cant
- negative ions inside, positive ions outside, and the neuron is ready to fire
- takes certain amount of stimuli to fire off a neuron
- people with this d/o do not have the right amount of lithium as that is what is
required to raises threshold back up to normal levels. - CORRECT ANSWER Bipolar
disorders / mood stabilizers
- connected to positive and negative charges of on the neuron because it uses this
for conduction.
- person with this d/o needs less and less stimuli to fire neurons.
- meds raise stimulus threshold for neurons to fire. - CORRECT ANSWER Bipolar
disorder and mood stabilizers need their ions to...
biological condition and medications are needed. - CORRECT ANSWER what is
Bipolar disorder and is there anything this diagnosis requires?
- Salt, trace element, everyone has some in their body.
,- 2nd messenger - taking info from cell wall/receptors and bringing to nucleus, you
need ________ in order to do that.
- normally, small dose of lithium with antipsychotic is prescribed to save the
kidneys. - CORRECT ANSWER Lithium
very small as too much can damage kidneys - CORRECT ANSWER what is the
therapeutic window for lithium?
depart/divalproex- anti-seizure meds; seizures work the same way with neurons
having low threshold to fire.
- cannot be prescribed during pregnancy - CORRECT ANSWER Anticonvulsants
- antidepressants can cause mania in people with bipolar d/o.
- if antidepressant is prescribed it is important to take with an anti-manic (lithium
or anti-seizure).
- not much you can do to treat biphasic/post manic depression by it often resolves
spontaneously.
- you can find out what worked last time to get them out of episode. - CORRECT
ANSWER prescribing differences in bipolar depression
gradual onset, prolonged duration, mild-moderate intensity.
- excessive fear (amygdala & locus coeruleus); excessive worry (CSTD loop)
- high rate of comorbidity and suicide
- Co-morbid with ADHD, substance use, bipolar disorder, pain disorder and sleep
disorders.
- considered both adaptive and maladaptive
, - when maladaptive: lasts too long, occurs at inappropriate times, when
magnitude of anxiety far outweighs the precipitant / triggering event. - CORRECT
ANSWER Anxiety
sudden onset, short duration, intense/severe intensity.
- high correlation between sudden loss and late onset panic disorder 6-12 months
after loss. - CORRECT ANSWER Panic
treatment falls into two categories: rescue and prevention - CORRECT ANSWER
anxiolytics
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors;
- first line of treatment for anxiety disorder
- side effects (big 3)
1. nausea/queasy stomach - because most serotonin receptors are in your
stomach; indicator that the medication is working and being absorbed.
2. weight gain - due to med blocking satiety and slowing the metabolism
3. decreased libido - CORRECT ANSWER SSRIs
serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
- treat depression +anxiety low energy; atypical antidepressant
- venlafaxine and duloxetine - CORRECT ANSWER SNRIs
- calms you down, slows down the heart rate
- you can’t get anxious if your heart cant race!!
