Course Summary

Expiration Date: 03/26/2028

Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant that is approved to treat major depressive disorder (MDD), to prevent seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and as an aid for smoking cessation. Bupropion is used off-label to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction; it is also used to augment the effectiveness of other antidepressants, such as selective serotonergic reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Bupropion and naltrexone, trade name Contrave, is approved as an adjunctive treatment for chronic weight management in people who are overweight or obese, and bupropion and dextromethorphan (DM), trade name Auvelity, is approved for treating unipolar major depressive disorder. A significant potential exists for bupropion to be misused for recreational purposes rather than as prescribed. It is important for clinicians to establish clear parameters for monitoring and documenting risk outcomes when prescribing bupropion in its various forms.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • Pharmacological Profile: Bupropion Dosing and Uses
  • Drug Warnings, Contraindications, and Adverse Effects
  • Precautions and Complications of Treatment
    • Cardiovascular
    • Central Nervous System
    • Hypersensitivity Reactions
    • Ophthalmic
    • Psychiatric
    • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
    • Interactions with Drugs and Other Substances
  • Treatment for Mood Disorders and Smoking Cessation
    • Major Depressive Disorder
    • Seasonal Affective Disorder
    • Smoking Cessation
  • Discontinuing Bupropion Use
  • Bupropion Misuse and Overdose
    • Serotonin Poisoning
    • Neurodegenerative Diseases
    • Obesity
  • Case Study: Bupropion-Induced Dyskinesia
  • Summary

Author

Dana Bartlett, RN, BSN, MSN, MA, CSPI

Dana Bartlett is a professional nurse and author. His clinical experience includes 16 years of ICU and ER experience and over 27 years as a poison control center information specialist. Dana has published numerous CE and journal articles, written NCLEX material, textbook chapters, and more than 100 online CE articles, and done editing and reviewing for publishers such as Elsevier, Lippincott, and Thieme. He has written widely on the subject of toxicology and was a contributing editor, toxicology section, for Critical Care Nurse journal. He is currently employed at the Connecticut Poison Control Center. He lives in Wappingers Falls, NY.