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WHO’s publications about mental health and substance use range from short, user-friendly information products for a general audience to detailed reports and other technical works. All our publications can be downloaded free of charge.

Pharmacological treatment of priority mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health care: a job aid for supporting implementation of the mhGAP guidelines

Pharmacological treatment of priority mental, neurological and substance use disorders in non-specialized health care: a job aid for supporting implementation of the mhGAP guidelines

Publication date: 2024

This manual covers pharmacological treatments for all priority disorders including clinical indications, dosage regimens, side-effect profiles, commonly encountered drug interactions, and protocols for safe monitoring and stopping medicines. Details are included of some serious side-effects, such as serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It also covers a wide range of medicines that are prescribed by specialists but which may need to be managed by non-specialists during the maintenance phase of recovery. In addition, it covers the emergency management of overdose or toxicity of medicines used to treat common mental disorders. The module on substance use disorders includes aspects of pharmacological management of dependence on nicotine, alcohol and opioids.

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