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Mar 3, 2010
Volume 8, Number 4
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 title for access to the article.
What
Is the Lifetime Risk of Physician-Diagnosed Asthma in Ontario , Canada
One
in every three individuals in
Increased risk of diabetes observed among statin-treated patients
3. Continuing Education OpportunitiesLive
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?
The live webinars have been
recorded and will be stored until the end of June so that you will be able to take advantage of
viewing the live sessions you missed at a
more convenient time.
The program cost for
all nine sessions
is
$349 for OPA members and $449 for non-members. Your receipt
of payment and your certificate of attendance will be mailed out once
payment is received. This program is eligible for funding through
the Allied Health Professional Development Fund and is an approved use of
professional allowance dollars. For more information, contact Angela
Sartori, Education Coordinator at asartori@dirc.ca or
416-385-2440, ext 2225.
Diabetes
Level 2 - CDE Preparation Course
March
26-28
This
three-day program builds on the information presented in the Level 1
program. Participants will be provided with information to support them in
preparing to write the Canadian Diabetes Educator Certification Board's
(CDECB) Certified Diabetes Educator examination. The program focuses on
the health professional as an educator, with special emphasis on education
theory and patient care activities that will optimize
self-management.
While
the Diabetes Level 1 program is not a mandatory requirement for the Level
2 course, participants will gain more from this program if they have
attended Level 1 or a similar program, or if they have a good working
knowledge of diabetes management.
Click
on the following link for the program brochure: http://www.opatoday.com/documents/Diabetes_lvl2_2010.pdf
Women's
Health/North American Certified Menopause Practitioners Prep
Course
April 23-25
This newly
revised, three-day program provides an in-depth look at the management of
women's health issues. The program will enhance your understanding
about female physiology and treatment options during the reproductive
years, perimenopause and menopause. The program will support those
wishing to write the certification exams offered by the North American
Menopause Society. Presenters include: Dr. Vivien Brown, MDCM, CCFP,
FCFP, NCMP, National Director for Women’s Health for Medisys,
Inc.
Click
on the following link for the program brochure: http://www.opatoday.com/documents/Womenshealth_2010.pdf
Respiratory
(COPD/Asthma) Patient Care - CAE/CRE Preparation Course
April
29 - May 2
OPA’s
4-day respiratory care program has been approved by the Canadian Network
for Asthma Care (CNAC) as a pre-requisite for writing the certification
exams to become a nationally credentialed asthma or respiratory educator.
This program will be taught and attended by a multidisciplinary
team of health professionals, including pharmacists, respiratory
therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and nurse practitioners. The
first day will be devoted to presentations on chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the remaining three days will
review required material for writing the certified asthma educator
(CAE) exams. The full program will prepare participants to write the
certified respiratory educator (CRE) exam.
For those who have CAE
designation and wish to upgrade to CRE, attendance at the COPD one-day
program will enable them to write the COPD exam to upgrade their
credentials. November 2010 may be the last year that CNAC will
administer the COPD-only exam, so interested CAE's are encouraged to take
advantage of this opportunity.
Click
on the following link for the program brochure: http://www.opatoday.com/documents/Asthma_COPD%20Brochure_2010.pdf
Cardiovascular
Patient Care
May 14-16
This three-day
annual program will enhance your understanding of and skills in
cardiovascular patient care.
Click
on the following link for the program brochure: http://www.opatoday.com/documents/CardiovascularCP_2010.pdf
Certified
Geriatric Pharmacist Prep Course
November 12-14 and
26-28
This six-day
course helps prepare pharmacists to write the US Certified Geriatric
Pharmacist exam and become credentialed as a Certified Geriatric
Pharmacist (CGP). Updates on over 25 disease states common to geriatric
care are presented by pharmacy experts, many of whom have their CGP
credentials. Registration
for 2010 programs will be available soon.
For
more information on OPA’s education programs visit: www.opatoday.com
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.
4. Advisories and Adverse Reactions
Health
Canada
To
view, click on the title below.
Accutane
(isotretinoin) - Association with Cases of Severe Skin Reactions
Unauthorized
FDA Safety Alerts
To
view, click on the title below.
2010
Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products
Long-Acting
Beta-Agonists (LABAs): New Safe Use Requirements
Avandia
(rosiglitazone): Ongoing Review of Cardiovascular
Safety
Invirase
(saquinavir): Ongoing safety review of clinical trial
data
5. Clinical Practice Guidelines
Click on the title for direct access to the guideline.
From the National Guideline Clearinghouse
Dutch
Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Guideline
recurrent miscarriage.
European
Association of Urology
Guidelines
on testicular cancer.
Institute
for Clinical Systems Improvement
Diagnosis
and initial treatment of ischemic stroke.
From
TOP (Toward Optimized Practice)
Clopidogrel
and PPI (Proton Pump Inhibitor)
Pain
in the Butt: Fissures Therapies
The
Adverse Event Rainbow: NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory
Drug)
Click on the title for direct access to the article.
From
New Drugs/Drug News
From Canadian Family Physician
Child Health Update: ADHD stimulants and their effect on height in children
Click on the title for free access to summaries.
Cochrane new and updated reviews
Antiepileptics for
aggression and associated impulsivity
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). To subscribe, or for more information, contact Yolanda Mitchell at ymitchell@dirc.ca or 1-800-268-8058 ext. 2210.
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
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