In this module, you will learn why religious and ethical laws and rules may prohibit the use of psychotropic medication if it contains certain animal-based derivatives. This module will equip you with the necessary background knowledge on different religions, and types of animal-based derivatives in psychotropic medication.
You will be given instructions on how to identify medications containing religiously forbidden ingredients, and provide alternative treatments. This module is clinically important because an awareness of this issue is crucial for fostering patient autonomy through informed consent, thereby strengthening the doctor-patient relationship and improving adherence to medication.
This module is a joint commission with the following article published in BJPsych Advances:
Khokhar WA, Dein SL, Qureshi MS, et al (2015) When taking medication may be a sin: dietary requirements and food laws in psychotropic prescribing. BJPsych Advances, 21: 425–432.
Visit the Related articles: BJPsych Advances page in the module for other related articles.
Please note that the content contained in the video in this module is intended as an adjunct to the learning points and does not reflect the views of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Furthermore, any advertisements shown in the video are not chosen by, and do not reflect the views of, the College.
Learning outcomes
- By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- identify and discuss the main religious and ethical restrictions on diet and their influence on adherence to psychotropic medication
- name the most important sources of religiously or ethically prohibited ingredients in common psychotropic drugs, understand their use and determine whether a drug contains these ingredients
- suggest appropriate strategies to address non-adherence due to the presence of such ingredients.
Availability
This module is available as part of a CPD eLearning subscription.
