Strategic opportunities for effective optimal prescribing and medication management.

Background: Canadians receive over 422 million prescriptions and spend over $26 billion annually on drugs. Yet, we do not systematically capture information on whether the right drugs reach the right people with the intended benefits, while avoiding unintended harm. It is important to identify and understand the effectiveness of approaches used to improve prescribing and medication use.

Effect of educational and policy interventions on institutional utilization of wet nebulization respiratory drugs and portable inhalers.

Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment guidelines support the preferential use of portable inhalers (PIs) over wet nebulization (WN) respiratory therapy. Hospital- and community-based educational initiatives and a community-based provincial drug program policy change were previously implemented to promote the conversion of WN therapy to PI and spacer device use in Nova Scotia.

Objective: To examine the effect of these interventions on salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, and spacer device (Aerochamber) use at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre (QEII HSC).

Medication persistence rates and factors associated with persistence in patients following stroke: a cohort study.

Background: Medication nonadherence can be as high as 50% and results in suboptimal patient outcomes. Stroke patients in particular can benefit from pharmacotherapy for thrombosis, hypertension, and dyslipidemia but are at high risk for medication nonpersistence.

Methods: Patients who were admitted to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with stroke between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2002 were analyzed.