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January 27, 2010
Volume 8, Number 2
Dear Pharmacist:
Thank you for enrolling to receive the eDIRC Bulletin, courtesy of
the Ontario Pharmacists' Association's (OPA's) Drug Information and
Research Centre (DIRC), Canada's leading provider of evidence-based drug
information.
In this edition:
|
It’s time to renew your DIRC membership if you haven’t already done so. See the ‘DIRC Subscription’ section of this bulletin for more information.
Click on the titles for access to the abstracts.
Spoons
Systematically Bias Dosing of Liquid Medicine
Study finds children can get erroneous doses if medication is dosed with kitchen spoons.
3. Continuing Education Opportunities
Live
Programs -
Natural
Health Products Webinars
Have you wished to gain a better understanding of natural health products from reputable resources? Do you struggle to incorporate continuing education programs into your busy work schedule?
OPA/DIRC
is pleased to announce a series of live webinars on natural health products. These
sessions have been developed to increase awareness of natural health
products and enhance pharmacists’ ability to provide advice on natural
health products that are sold in pharmacies. Our faculty speakers are
well-known experts and advisors in natural health products, the majority
of whom sit on the Expert Advisory Committee of the Natural Health
Products Directorate.
The sessions are scheduled on Monday and Wednesday nights and are approximately 90 minutes long. The webinars will be recorded and stored for four months so that you will be able to take advantage of nights you miss at a more convenient time. It’s never too late to register since you will have access to the recorded sessions!
The program cost for all nine sessions is $349 for OPA members and $449 for non-members. Your receipt of payment will be mailed out within three weeks and your certificate of attendance will be mailed out once the program is completed. This program is eligible for funding through the Allied Health Professional Development Fund and is an approved use of professional allowance dollars. Upon registration, confirmation emails will be automatically sent to you, with instructions on how to access the webinars. For more information, contact Angela Sartori, Education Coordinator at asartori@dirc.ca or 416-385-2440, ext 2225.
To
register, click on the following link
(please ensure you select all available
events when registering): https://dircevents.webex.com/dircevents/onstage/g.php?p=4&t=m
Diabetes
Level 1 Certificate Program: February 19-21
This
three-day course focuses on important topics in diabetes management and
can help you prepare for some of the competencies expected in writing the
Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) examination.
Diabetes
Level 2 CDE Preparation Course: March 26-28
This three-day program builds on the information presented in the Level 1 program, with a special emphasis on patient education. Participants will be provided with information to support them in preparing to write the Canadian Diabetes Educator Certification Board’s CDE examination.
Cardiovascular
Patient Care Program: May 14-16
This three-day program provides evidence-based information on the management of cardiovascular conditions, with the goal of improving patient care.
For
more information on OPA’s education programs visit: www.opatoday.com
Important
Information About rxCertified Online Education
Programs
Beginning
January 5, online education programs provided through www.rxcertified.ca are no longer
available for purchase. Anyone who has purchased a certificate program,
but has not yet completed it, will have until February 16 to do
so.
Please
note that as of February 17, rxBriefCase will no longer be utilizing
OPA/DIRC content for rxCertified programs, and the rxCertified website
will no longer be available. To ensure you receive your certificates,
please check to make sure that all “Accreditation” section requirements
have been completed. Don’t forget to print your receipts (login and click
on your profile to access all your billing history).
If you have any questions or concerns, please email info@rxcertified.ca or pyoung@dirc.ca. DIRC remains committed to providing quality education to pharmacists. Look for information about OPA’s new online education website in the coming weeks!
Allied Health Professional Development Fund
HealthForceOntario's Allied Health Professional Development Fund will be offered again in 2010. The application form is now available from their website at www.ahpdf.ca. Please note that OPA's continuing education is an approved use of professional allowance dollars under the Transparent Drug System for Patients Act.
28th
Annual Pharmacy Technicians Conference
Saturday February 20,
Join
your colleagues, industry suppliers and dynamic presenters at this premier
educational event. Visit pharmacy.humber.ca for information on
conference sessions and speakers or contact leah.barclay@humber.ca.
4. Advisories and Adverse Reactions
Health
Canada
To
view, click on the title below.
Rolaids
Antacid Tablets Packaged in Bottles Recalled Due to Possible Health
Risks
FDA Safety Alerts
To
view, click on the title below.
5. Clinical Practice Guidelines
Click on the title for direct access to the guideline.
From
Canadian Pharmacist Journal
Hypertension
guidelines for pharmacists: 2009 update
From
the National Guideline Clearinghouse
Antithrombotic
therapy supplement
Diagnosis
and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in
adults
From
BC Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee
Click on the title for direct access to the article.
From
Skin Therapy Letter, Pharmacist Edition
Click on the title for free access to summaries.
Cochrane new and updated reviews
Join OPA/DIRC as a bilingual pharmacist
Click
on the following link for more information:
http://www.dirc.ca/images/pdf/dircrecruitment-bilingualad_20091118.pdf
Join OPA's Faculty Registry as a speaker, facilitator or expert reviewer
OPA’s education department has an
increased need for speakers, facilitators and expert reviewers from across
Why
DIRC?
Through our
timely, unbiased, and evidence-based drug information, we aim to help
you:
- increase
efficiency in your day-to-day work
- improve
your patient relationships
- build
your reputation with physicians and other healthcare professionals
Value for your
subscription
As a DIRC subscriber, you have access
to:
- Clinical Xpert,
a drug information resource for use on your PDA
- hundreds of
DIRC publications on the DIRC website
- current
information from top medical journals and databases
- a peer with whom you can dialogue to resolve your drug-related queries
If you were a previous DIRC subscriber, you should have
already received your membership package for 2010 (the application form is
on the back of the DIRC 2010 brochure). Remember to send your
completed application in early to take advantage of the following
incentive:
Education Bonus Offer for DIRC
Subscribers: Each
subscription paid by January 29, will give the subscribing pharmacy free
access to one members-only educational webinar program (topic and date to
be determined). You must provide an email address in order to be
alerted of the upcoming webinar.
To subscribe, or for more information, contact Michael Doran at mdoran@dirc.ca or 1-800-268-8058 ext. 2252.
Karina Malak, BScPhm, RPh
Editors, eDIRC Bulletin
Feedback:
OPA/DIRC welcomes your feedback on
the eDIRC Bulletin and other DIRC services at dirc@dirc.ca.
Education Inquiries:
Please direct any inquiries on OPA/DIRC Educational Programs to
education@dirc.ca.
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Contact Us:
Drug Information and Research Centre
Ontario Pharmacists'
Association
375 University Avenue, Suite 800
Toronto, Ontario M5G
2J5
Tel: (800) 268-8058 Fax: (416) 385-2442
www.opatoday.com
www.dirc.ca
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© 2010 Ontario Pharmacists' Association - All rights reserved