Alert
🔔 A Note to Our Learning Community
10th February 2026: The Primer on Addiction Pharmacology is a newly introduced module, and we are committed to growing it thoughtfully and responsibly. To ensure a smooth and enriching learning experience, we are opening in phases. This will give the hub team to figure out anything is not working properly, refine the content, improve the overall experience, and promptly address any technical issues in real time. In due course, we plan to open more seats within the coming week. We appreciate your enthusiasm and patience as we continue to strengthen and expand this learning initiative.
In the meantime, explore the free Addiction Rx app — an evidence-based clinical decision support tool from NIMHANS, available to all practitioners, anytime.
Thank you for your patience and shared purpose in the democracy of knowledge. Any suggestions or feedback mail vk*@********ns.in
From Tool to Learning Ecosystem
Over the past three years, the landscape of addiction science has expanded tremendously. We also recognised a real challenge: busy clinicians and psychiatrists, navigating demanding clinical loads, often struggle to keep pace with this growing body of evidence based treatment. But between the two, a gap remained — a space for structured, self-paced knowledge building.
This Primer on Addiction Pharmacology (PAP) was developed to bridge that gap — making foundational and evolving knowledge accessible to more practitioners, at their own pace, wherever they are. Together, these three offerings(Addiction Rx app– PAP-Advance ECHO Course) form a learning continuum to reach grows wider and knowledge building becomes exponential.
Learning Objectives of the certificate module
By the end of this module, learners will be able to:
- Describe the pharmacological mechanisms of action for medications used in alcohol, opioid, cannabis, sedative-hypnotic, and stimulant use disorders.
- Explain the evidence base for pharmacotherapy effectiveness across different substance use disorders, including both FDA-approved and off-label medications.
- Select appropriate pharmacological interventions based on patient-specific factors, substance type, severity of dependence, and co-occurring conditions.
- Identify contraindications, adverse effects, and monitoring requirements for commonly used addiction pharmacotherapies.
- Apply clinical protocols for managing withdrawal syndromes and overdoses using appropriate pharmacological agents.
Completing this primer requires dedicated time, undivided attention, and concentrated reading. These modules assume foundational knowledge in the subject area and build on existing clinical understanding. Please ensure you are prepared and review the information below before enrolment
🔍 Quiz Monitoring Enabled:
The quiz is monitored using ProctoPress 🔐 – Exam Proctoring for LMS. Webcam, microphone, and screen activity are recorded during the attempt.
Overview of Primer
Overview of content?
📝Instructional Design📝
| Certificate Module name | Primer on Addiction Pharmacology |
| Learning Level | Intermediate |
| Target Audience | Psychiatrists, MD/DNB psychiatry residents, physicians/Medical officers, and other healthcare professionals who have foundational knowledge of substance use disorders |
| Online, self-paced learning One can take any lesson and complete | Online, self-paced learning |
| Module objectives | Describe the pharmacological mechanisms of action for medications used in tobacco, alcohol, opioid, cannabis, sedative-hypnotic, and stimulant use disorders. Explain the evidence base for pharmacotherapy effectiveness across different substance use disorders, including both FDA-approved and off-label medications. Select appropriate pharmacological interventions based on patient-specific factors, substance type, severity of dependence, and co-occurring conditions. Identify contraindications, adverse effects, and monitoring requirements for commonly used addiction pharmacotherapies. Apply clinical protocols for managing withdrawal syndromes and overdoses using appropriate pharmacological agents. |
| Design | A collaboration between NIMHANS and Mental Health Institute, Odisha Digital Academy for Mental Health, SCB Medical College, Cuttack, Dept of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Odisha, |
| Duration of access | Two months |
| Professional Development Certificate | On completion of all lessons, topics, and quizzes successfully (>80% score), you can download an “e-certificate of Achievement” with score. |
| Suggested Citation | NIMHANS eLearning, Centre for Addiction Medicine, and NIMHANS Digital Academy. Primer on Addiction Pharmacology, Bangalore, India. Available from https://nimhanselearning.org/courses/primer-on-addiction-pharmacology/ |
| Copyright Information | This license requires that reusers give credit to the creator. It allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for non-commercial purpose only. https://nimhanselearning.org/courses/primer-on-addiction-pharmacology/ © 2024 by Virtual Knowledge Network, Centre for Addiction Medicine & NIMHANS Digital Academy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0     |
| First Edition | December 2025 |
| Connect us | vk*@********ns.in |
| Funding and Support | A collaboration between NIMHANS and Mental Health Institute, Odisha Digital Academy for Mental Health, SCB Medical College Cuttack, Dept of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Odisha, |
| FAQs | 1. Recognition status: This is a professional development certification online module from the Centre for Addiction Medicine & NIMHANS Digital Academy and NOT an accredited Course. 2. Certificate of Completion for the Whole module: Complete all quizzes (for all lessons) with a score of ≥80%. Three attempts are available for each quiz. Download the “e-Certificate of Completion” after successfully completing all requirements 3. Letter for Completion of Each Lesson: Complete the respective lesson quiz with a score of ≥80%. Three attempts are available. Download the “Letter of Completion” after successfully passing each quiz. |
| Generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this content. All materials have been reviewed and validated by subject matter experts before inclusion. Team (Content developer, Designer, Faculty, Technical support) | Centre for Addiction Medicine and Virtual Knowledge Network and NIMHANS Digital Academy National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India Dr Mohita Joshi, MD, PhD, Addiction Psychiatry, made the first draft of this module as part of her research study. KNOW OUR TEAM |
Letter of Completion for each lesson and Certificate for complete module
Supplement tool
A.📱 Addiction Rx App - Free clinical decision support for addiction care
Download: Addiction Rx App
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