Choosing Wisely Canada
Six Things Pharmacists and Patients Should Question
CPhA is proud to support the Choosing Wisely Canada campaign to help clinicians and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests and treatments and make smart and effective choices to ensure high-quality care.
We have recently joined over 60 Canadian health groups who have now published more than 280 recommendations to improve safety and prevent unnecessary harm to patients. These recommendations include tests or treatments to avoid or question; those that are not supported by evidence, and/or could expose patients to unnecessary harm. By taking account of unnecessary or harmful treatments, tests or procedures, pharmacists can ensure that more effort is placed on those which enhance patient care and safety.
Pharmacist List
CPhA’s pharmacist list, Six Things Pharmacists and Patients Should Question, identifies six targeted, evidence-based recommendations that can support conversations between patients and clinicians about what care is really needed.
How the list was created
CPhA established its Choosing Wisely Canada top six recommendations in two phases. The first phase comprised a call to pharmacists and pharmacy researchers from across Canada for recommendations in the fall of 2016. During the second phase, an expert committee was formed to review and finalize the recommendations submitted from the call to pharmacists. The committee was composed of CPhA member association representatives, pharmacy researchers, CPhA Board of Directors and staff who have broad knowledge and experience in pharmacy practice and quality improvement. Criteria used by the committee to finalize the list included relevance to practising pharmacists, impact and the available evidence to support each recommendation. The final list was approved by CPhA member associations and Board of Directors.
To learn more about Choosing Wisely Canada and to view the complete lists and additional detail about the recommendations and evidence supporting them, visit www.ChoosingWiselyCanada.org
In the News
- Phil Emberley and Dr. Wendy Levinson: Pharmacists, doctors warning seniors about risk of long-term use of sleeping pills (National Post, Jan 24, 2018)
- Opinion consommation de benzodiazépines : Consommation de médicaments plus de tort que de bien (La Presse, Jan 4, 2018)
- CPhA releases its six Choosing Wisely recommendations for pharmacists (Canadian Healthcare Network, Nov 21, 2017)
Videos
- 6 Things Pharmacists and Patients Should Question
- Recommendation 1: Medications to treat side effects
- Recommendation 2: OTC codeine medications
- Recommendation 3: Starting and renewing drug therapy
- Recommendation 4: Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy
- Recommendation 5: Antipsychotics to treat primary insomnia
- Recommendation 6: Benzodiazepines