Use of evidence-based therapy at discharge for patients with acute myocardial infarction: retrospective audit of medical records.

Background: Various guidelines are available outlining optimal therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Canadian institutions providing care for such patients have been encouraged to evaluate their care processes using specific indicators.

Objective: To determine the proportion of patients with acute myocardial infarction discharged from a single health authority for whom acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), adrenergic β-receptor antagonists (β-blockers), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, or 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) had been prescribed.

Survey of Canadian Pharmacists' Responses to Warnings of Potential Interactions Between Ceftriaxone and Calcium in IV Solutions.

Background: In 2007, because of a potential interaction between ceftriaxone and calcium-containing IV solutions, Roche Laboratories (manufacturer of Rocephin [ceftriaxone] in the United States) issued letters to health care professionals advising them of changes to the product monograph. Subsequently, warning letters were also issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada. The Health Canada recommendations and their implications for clinical practice generated debate in the Canadian hospital pharmacy community.