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Oct 18, 2011, volume 9, number 21
1. OPA/DIRC News
Please note that there will
be no eDIRC on Nov 1, 2011. The next issue will be sent out Nov 15, 2011.
The editors apologize for any inconvenience.
2. In the
News
Click on the title for access to the
article or abstract.
Statement
on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2011–2012
Note: Egg allergy is no
longer considered a contraindication for trivalent influenza vaccine
(injectable)
3. Continuing Education Opportunities
Webinars
Methadone treatment in special populations:
Patients with comorbid health problems (complimentary): October 19,
October 25 or October 26
This live webinar will review the use
of methadone and alternate therapies in patients with co-morbid health
problems such as sleep apnea, cardiac arrhythmias, renal disease, and
hepatitis C. Presented by Dr. Joel Bordman, a methadone practitioner, this
presentation will also cover potential issues facing these patients, for
example, the lack of evidence-based guidelines and dosing adjustments.
This complimentary program is made available
through funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Please note that the Methadone treatment in special populations: Patients with co-morbid health problems program does not replace the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health workshop or other mandatory and approved courses required by the Ontario College of Pharmacists.
All webinars take place 7 - 8:30 p.m. To register, visit https://dircevents.webex.com
Live programs 2011,
Toronto
Registration for all programs will be available
soon. Visit http://www.opatoday.com
for more information.
Infectious Disease Program: October
14-16
Infections are a leading cause of death worldwide, and
the can pose a challenging clinical problem because "best" treatment
decisions are not static. The primary objectives of this three-day program
are to enhance the skills and knowledge of participants in understanding
infectious diseases and provide them with an update on current guidelines
in managing infections commonly encountered in clinical practice.
Psoriasis Care Certificate Program for
Pharmacists (complimentary): October 22 (Hamilton) and October 29
(Toronto), November 12 (Edmonton), December 3
(Vancouver)
Psoriasis is a chronic condition that affects one
to three percent of Canadians. Patients have described it as a health
burden that is comparable in magnitude to that of cancer, depression,
diabetes and heart disease. Pharmacists in primary care practices have
many opportunities to optimize the care of those with this condition.
Thanks to an unrestricted educational grant from Leo Pharma Inc., OPA is
providing pharmacists with an opportunity to gain valuable insight about
the challenges and concerns facing people living with psoriasis that will
lead to impactful interventions in the care of patients with this
condition.
This is a blended program consisting of both web-based and
live components. Pharmacists will become familiar with disease
recognition, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic management, trigger
education and the assessment of quality of life measures.
Confronting Medication Incidents: October
26
The Ontario Pharmacists’ Association, with the generous
support of Abbott Laboratories Ltd., has developed a program to make
pharmacists and pharmacy technicians aware of the incidence, causes, and
handling of medication incidents in practice. Topics include: terms
involved in medication incidents, the scope and frequency of medication
incidents, common incidents in pharmacy practice, procedures for dealing
with and preventing, a medication incident, current initiatives in
medication incident prevention and more.
Methadone Program (complimentary): October
30 (Sudbury) and November 19 (Toronto)
The Ontario College of
Pharmacists (OCP) has recognized OPA’s live, one-day methadone education
as an approved training course for methadone dispensing pharmacists as
part of their training update. Updates are required at minimum every five
years, as indicated in the College’s methadone dispensing policy.
The complimentary program is presented by methadone practitioners and includes topics such as destigmatizing methadone maintenance therapy, communicating discreet and sensitive topics and the pharmacist’s role in providing care to patients on methadone or other addiction management agents. Tools and reference materials for pharmacists are included.
The program, funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, does not replace the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Opioid Dependence Treatment Course for pharmacists and designated managers who are beginning a methadone practice.
Certified Geriatric Pharmacist Preparation
Course: November 4-6 and November 25-27
This six-day course
prepares pharmacists to write the US Certified Geriatric Pharmacist exam
and become credentialed as a Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP). Updates
on over 20 disease states common to geriatric care are presented by
pharmacy experts, many of whom have their CGP credentials. Whether they
work in a community pharmacy, hospital, family health team or long-term
care setting, pharmacists often face the complexities of medication
management in elderly patients. This course will benefit anyone wishing to
advance their skills and knowledge of geriatric care.
Men’s Health Certificate Program: November
12
The Ontario Pharmacists’ Association is pleased to offer a
one-day Men’s Health Certificate program. This program will discuss
common health risks facing the aging male and expand on the participants’
knowledge about the management of these conditions. Faculty
presenters will include Canadian experts in their respective fields who
will provide an update and overview of current management as well as tips
to optimize wellness. All interested pharmacists and other
healthcare professionals are welcome to attend.
Injection and Immunization Certificate
Program: November 20
This program is part of a comprehensive
two-part series designed to support pharmacists in the provision of
injections for the purposes of education, demonstration, and eventually
immunization once the regulations are in place. This blended program
consists of live and web based components that will prepare pharmacists to
eventually provide routine vaccinations and other injections. Prior to
being able to deliver these services, pharmacists should also complete
CPR/first aid training.
The live program will deliver all of the technical, operational and procedural elements associated with injection, and will include information ranging from the supplies needed, and an overview on how to deal with emergency situations. Participants will benefit from didactic lectures and practical training facilitated by trained healthcare professionals. To receive the certificate of completion for this program, participants will also be required to complete an online component.
Psychiatry Certificate Program: December
2-4
This three-day program will provide pharmacists with a
selection of key topics in mental wellness to enhance their skills,
knowledge, and understanding of the issues that pharmacists face in the
management of mental illness. Topics will include overviews of
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, adherence, and therapeutic
challenges, as well as a special topic on mental illness in
children.
Nutrition for Pharmacists: December
10
This one-day CCCEP-accredited program will provide an
overview of common issues as it relates to nutrition choices in disease
and medication management. Some of the areas of discussion will
include: carbohydrate counting for diabetes management, label
reading, good and bad fats, drug-nutrient interactions, healthy eating for
weight management, management of food intolerances/allergies and key
information on vitamins and nutrients from food.
Online Certificate Programs
Available at www.pharmacisteducation.ca
Pain and Palliative Care Program
This
CCCEP-approved program focuses on the management of chronic pain and
palliative care. Originally delivered live, the program’s recorded content
has been reviewed and updated by an expert faculty to enable pharmacists
to access the information through a convenient web-based format. The
program consists of 15 modules on various topics related to pain
management and palliative care.
Diabetes Level 1 Certificate Program
This
CCCEP-approved program provides pharmacists with a comprehensive overview
of current diabetes management in Canada. The program is taught by a
multidisciplinary team of clinical experts and consists of 11 modules,
based on the Canadian Diabetes Association’s latest clinical practice
guidelines.
Complimentary Online Programs
Available at
www.pharmacisteducation.ca
Methadone Education Program
These online modules
are designed to provide pharmacists with tools to effectively manage their
patients on methadone maintenance therapy. The program was created
following recommendations from the Methadone Task Force (2006) for a
methadone mentorship program for pharmacists. These nine
complimentary sessions are being provided to pharmacists with funding from
the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Please note that this program
does not replace the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
workshop or approved courses required by the Ontario College of
Pharmacists.
Vitamin D in Osteoporosis
A review of the sources
of vitamin D, vitamin D insufficiency in Canada, benefits and current
recommendations for vitamin D supplementation are provided.
Smoking Cessation
This program discusses a current
approach to smoking cessation that takes into account patients’ readiness
for intervention, pharmacists’ availability, and currently available
resources and tools to optimize the pharmacist-patient encounter.
This complimentary module was made possible through an unrestricted
educational grant from Pfizer Canada Inc.
Ulcerative Colitis
This 90-minute session provides
pharmacists with a comprehensive overview of the current management of
ulcerative colitis. Pharmacists will learn how to recognize common
symptoms that may lead to early physician evaluation and diagnosis.
This complimentary program was made possible through an unrestricted
educational grant from Warner Chilcott Inc.
Practical Management of Cough and Cold
Both
non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment options for cough and
cold are reviewed in this one-hour session, with a focus on special
populations. The program will also introduce participants to tools
and resources to assist in patient assessment, product recommendation,
monitoring and follow-up. This complimentary module was made
possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Procter &
Gamble Inc.
HealthForceOntario's Allied Health Professional Development Fund will be offered again in 2011-12. The application form is available from their website at www.ahpdf.ca.
4. Advisories and Adverse
Reactions
Click on the title for access to
the advisory.
Health Canada Warnings and Advisories
Advisories, Warnings and Recalls for Health Professionals
Advisories, Warnings and Recalls for the Public
Food and Drug Administration
2011
Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products
Sprycel
(dasatinib): Drug Safety Communication - Risk of Pulmonary Arterial
Hypertension
5. Clinical Practice
Guidelines
Click on the title for access to
the guideline.
From the Canadian Urological
Association
Prostate
cancer screening: Canadian Guidelines 2011
From the Canadian Paediatric
Society
Position
statement: Use of influenza vaccines in children with an egg
allergy
6. Online
Publications
Click on the title for access
to the article or abstract.
From the Canadian Medical Association
Journal
Efficacy of
statins for primary prevention in people at low cardiovascular risk: a
meta-analysis
From the Cleveland Clinic Journal of
Medicine
Dabigatran: Will it change
clinical practice?
From the Journal of the American
Medical Association
Folic acid
supplements in pregnancy and severe language delay in
children
7. Evidence-Based
Reviews
Click on the title for access to
summaries.
Cochrane New and Updated Reviews
8. Careers
Drug Information Pharmacist
(part-time)
This is an exciting time for pharmacists in Ontario. The need for drug information is more than ever now as pharmacists utilize their skills and expertise to support expanded scope of practice and new patient care initiatives.
Reporting to the Senior Manager, Drug Information, you will use your professional designation and experience in a variety of activities to support pharmacists and promote wellness for patients. As a DI pharmacist you will provide timely and effective responses to drug information requests from a variety of subscribers. You may be called upon to prepare publications and participate in research and education projects.
You are an effective verbal and written communicator. Knowledge of the healthcare system in Ontario is an asset, along with an understanding of the role of pharmacists in healthcare delivery. The working hours for pharmacists include some evenings and weekends. Ideally you have community- and/or hospital-based experience. Bilingualism, drug information experience and hospital residency are assets.
We offer a friendly working environment, along with competitive compensation package including education support, professional development days and a broad benefit package.
Part-time staff are required to make a commitment to work a pre-determined schedule which includes weekends and evenings
Interested candidates are invited to send a resume to hr@opatoday.com or fax 416-441-0791 (Attn: Human Resources). No phone calls please. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Education pharmacist
In this exciting role, you will report to the Manager of Education and contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of our education programs, activities and tools. You will also help identify and develop opportunities to extend the programs, scope and reach of DIRC’s education programs.
You understand the role of pharmacy in healthcare and appreciate the changing environment. You are an analytical person with excellent communication skills and are motivated to make a difference.
Some evening and weekend work is involved. We offer a competitive compensation package including education support, professional development days and a broad benefit package.
Interested candidates are invited to send a résumé to hr@opatoday.com or fax 416-441-0791 (Attn: Human Resources). No phone calls please. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Join OPA's Faculty Registry as a speaker, facilitator or expert reviewer
The education department at OPA has an increased need for speakers, facilitators, and expert reviewers from across Canada for our growing number of educational programs. If you are interested in any of these roles, please click here to add your name to OPA's Faculty Registry. Please direct any inquiries to Carolyn Singleton at csingleton@dirc.ca.
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:
• 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
To subscribe, contact Tina Starzenski at tstarzenski@dirc.ca or 1-800-268-8058 ext. 2252 for more information.
Karina Malak, BScPhm,
RPh
Nita Lakhani, BScPhm, RPh
Editors,
eDIRC Bulletin
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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
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