What are high alert medications? They are “drugs that have a higher risk of causing significant patient harm when they are used in error”. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP and ISMP Canada) is an organization that analyzes medication incidents that have been reported. ISMP Canada is part of a collaborative program called CMIRPs. Their...Read More

A recent headline “Millions of Canadians using acid-reflux drugs for too long, risking health side-effects” was in the news. It is increasing awareness about a problem with a certain group of medications called Proton Pump Inhibitors. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) include: omeprazole (Losec) esomeprazole (Nexium) pantoprazole (Pantoloc, Tecta) lansoprazole (Prevacid) dexlansoprazole (Dexilant) rabeprazole (Pariet) These...Read More

You may have heard the phrase “transitions in care”. This addresses the times you are going from one health provider to another. This could be for a one-time visit or a longer period. Examples are when you go see a specialist or are hospitalized. All of these transitions involve communicating your medical information including your...Read More

Have you or a family member ever been hospitalized? Did you wonder why your medications looked different? Medications are managed a bit differently in the hospital compared to the community. Here are some reasons why your medications might look different than at home: Hospital formulary – it is impossible for the hospital to carry EVERY...Read More

It’s always a good idea to stop and think about your lifestyle choices. This can increase your awareness of how your choices could be putting your future health at risk. Maybe now is a good time to take action. Lifestyle choices can affect our bodies. For example: smoking can lead to heart and lung disease,...Read More

You expect to experience pain after having surgery. You also expect to get medicine to help the pain, but, should you expect that you might become addicted?  Let’s think about a relatively minor surgery that teenagers have – getting their wisdom teeth taken out. Usually, the mouth is quite sore and swollen after the tooth is...Read More

You’ve gone to the doctor and discovered that you have high blood pressure. Your doctor has likely recommended you make some lifestyle changes such as increasing exercise, eating a low added salt diet, losing weight or stopping smoking. This can be overwhelming. But you do not have to do this alone. Talk with your pharmacist about...Read More

One of the most important safety strategies is to have an up to date medication list. Your healthcare team needs to know what medications you take and how you actually use them. It is critical for helping to make good decisions for your health. LET’S REVIEW WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR LIST: Your name,...Read More

When you or a loved one’s eyesight begins to fail, life changes in many ways including how to safely manage your medications. Here are some tips to consider: Have a storage system to keep all your medications in one placeMake a chart that reminds you how many pills you take at each dosing time –...Read More

We all stumble or trip. Sometimes we fall and hurt ourselves. It might be obvious why we fell, like slipping on ice or tripping over loose carpet. But other times it is a puzzle to figure out why we fell. A big piece of the puzzle might actually be medications. Medications have a laundry list...Read More