Safe Medication

Teaming up with patients and families for leading-edge stroke research

Hospital patients have long played a vital role in clinical trials by testing new medications and treatments aimed at advancing human health. And now, more and more often, patients and their family members are finding themselves on the other side of cutting-edge research, as key...

Oral chemotherapy made simple: Considerations of efficacy, safety, and more

ver the past few months, John, a 58-year-old with advanced gastric (or stomach) cancer, has been undergoing intravenous (IV) chemotherapy, requiring regular hospital visits for infusions. Recently, his doctor introduced the option of oral (i.e., taken by mouth) chemotherapy in tablet form, allowing John...

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Ensuring the right patient gets the right medication at the right time

Drip. Drip. Drip.  Simon is lying in a hospital bed after a successful abdominal surgery....

Canada’s Pharmacare Act needs to be changed

Canada’s Pharmacare Act, Bill C-64 is merely a fill-the-gaps approach rather than a universal...

Antioxidants and chemotherapy: Considerations for efficacy and safety

J.S., a 55-year-old female, presented to her oncology clinic for her third cycle of...

Compounding practices: Implications for patient and medication safety

According to Health Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/compliance-enforcement/good-manufacturing-practices/guidance-documents/policy-manufacturing-compounding-drug-products.html), compounding corresponds to the mixing or combination of two...

Timely diagnosis and right medication lead to improved quality of life for heart failure patients

Marilyn Jackson recalls waking up, breathless, with a terrible cramp in her leg. “I’m...

Behind the scenes: Pharmacy Quality Control Lab

Every hospital pharmacy faces issues regarding drug stability (how long a drug can be...

Artificial intelligence and patient care: Considerations of medication safety

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has generated significant excitement globally. One notable AI system is ChatGPT...

Project sees overuse of preventative blood thinners cut by half

A year-old pilot project at St. Paul’s Hospital to track unnecessary use of preventative...

Polypharmacy: Impact on patient and medication safety

Anna (68-year-old female) was hospitalized after a fall, bringing along 14 medications she routinely...

Oral dosage form modifications: Important considerations to safeguard patient safety

Lily, an 18-year-old patient, has recently been prescribed Venlafaxine Extended-Release Capsules to address her...

Predictors of opioid overdose after prescription for chronic pain

A large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) identified 10 predictors of...

Opioid stewardship: Its role in patient/medication safety and pain management

Common examples of opioids include morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl, etc. When taken as instructed...

Latest articles

Working toward achieving the Quintuple Aim using holistic patient data

A new demonstration study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) combined patient-reported...

COVID-19 vaccine cuts risk of disease in half when administered during pregnancy

A large multistate study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s)...

Federal needle exchange programs are to reduce health care costs, blood-borne infections

New research suggests that every dollar spent in Prison Needle Exchange Programs (PNEPs) in...

AI-powered algorithm brings more accuracy to hospital discharge predictions

Accurately predicting when a patient will be ready to go home is at the...