Dear Editor,
Pharmacist Awareness Week is March 1-7, 2004. Our theme is Make the most of your
medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Attached please find a series of columns and tips, of varying lengths, suitable for sharing
with your readers, either as editorial content, or as background information for
advertising spots developed by your advertising department and used in special joint
ventures with local pharmacists. I encourage you to share this information with your
advertising manager. However it is used, the goal of this information is to help
Canadians manage their medications more effectively, with help from their pharmacist.
Given Canada’s aging population, shorter hospital stays, stretched health care budgets,
new medications, alternate remedies and health news on the front-pages everyday, taking
care of your health can be confusing and hard work.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds Canadians that they don’t have to do it
alone. Pharmacists work in the community, in hospitals, in nursing homes, and at
outpatient clinics. Pharmacists receive a minimum five years university training in all
aspects of human health and medication management. Surveys indicate that they are the
most trusted professionals and the most accessible health care provider in the community
with one person from every household going to a pharmacy once a week
We encourage Canadians to talk to their medications expert, their pharmacist, whenever
they have questions about their medication or health care.
If you would like additional information about pharmacists, or about Pharmacist
Awareness Week, please contact me at 1-800-917-9489 or (613) 523-7877 ext. 267 or via
e-mail: media@pharmacists.ca.
Sincerely,
Janet Becigneul
Media Relations Manager
Make the most of your medicine
… Talk to your pharmacist
If you're like millions of Canadians who've
had a prescription filled this year, you've
seen first hand just one of the many services
your pharmacist provides. Your pharmacist
can do much more for you than you’ve come
to expect.
As the most accessible health care provider
in the community, your pharmacist is often
your first point of contact with the health
care system and is an excellent source of
information.
In addition to advice and information about
the best way to take your medicine, your
pharmacist can help you with a variety of
other health concerns, including help with
conditions such as diabetes, asthma, high
blood pressure or high cholesterol. He or she
can provide sound, up-to-date advice on
staying well and preventing disease. Your
pharmacist can also help with lifestyle
changes…for example, quitting smoking.
Pharmacists work in many settings: in the
community pharmacy, in hospitals, nursing
homes or at the outpatient clinic.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association
reminds you that whenever you have
questions about how to make the most of
your medicine, or need help with your health
care, talk to your pharmacist
Make the most of your medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
…about taking your medications properly
The benefits of working with your pharmacist are far-reaching.
An increasing number of Canadians are taking medication to control one or more chronic
conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or asthma. Taking your medications properly allows
these conditions to be managed, helping you feel better and minimizing long-term complications.
Your pharmacist is a medication expert and, in addition to helping you understand your
medications, can help you avoid or solve their potential side effects.
New and advanced drugs are becoming available every day. More are becoming available over
the counter without the need for a prescription. When it comes to taking medication properly and
safely, the right information is essential for your good health.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you to Make the most of your medicine…Talk to
your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist
…about your health checklist
The Canadian Pharmacists Association
and your pharmacist remind you that
there are important steps you can take
together with your pharmacist to help
you enjoy better health:
 Choose a pharmacy that meets your
needs and continue to use only that
pharmacy.
 Keep your pharmacist up to date on
any prescription, nonprescription or
herbal or natural health products
(NHPs) you are taking.
 Ask your pharmacist to help you
select nonprescription medications or
herbal and NHPs.
 Take your medications as directed.
 Talk to your pharmacist if you are
unsure about how to take or store
your medications or if you are
having any problems with your
medications.
 Never leave the pharmacy before
you know the answers to all your
questions.
The next time you come into the
pharmacy to buy a cough syrup or cold
remedy, something for a headache, or
any over-the-counter medicine, take the
time to talk to your pharmacist to make
sure it’s the best way to treat your
symptoms.
Your pharmacist – the medication expert
– can provide advice and information
about choosing, taking and storing your
medicine so you always get the best
from it. He or she can also help you
decide when not to take medications.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to
your pharmacist.
Make the most of your Medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
…when you’re in the hospital
You go to your pharmacist in the community pharmacy to help you with questions about your
medications and health care. The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you that you can
count on your pharmacist when you’re in the hospital too.
Your hospital pharmacist acts as an important line of defense, and works as a core member of the
team to protect and improve your health. Doctors and nurses rely on the advice and expertise of
the hospital pharmacist to tailor medication regimens to help you get the best from your care.
Make sure to speak to your hospital pharmacist if you have questions about your drug therapy.
Whether it’s in the hospital, community pharmacy, nursing home or extended care facility, or
out-patient clinic, a pharmacist is there to take care of your health.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist
…about your upcoming hospital stay
You've just been told that you need to have routine surgery. You might go home the same day, or
stay in hospital overnight, before you’re sent home to recover, accompanied by a morphine pump
to help you manage your pain. Sounds frightening, but it is not an uncommon situation in
Canada's health care system today.
As you plan ahead and make arrangements for your surgery and recovery, such as booking time
off work, cancelling commitments in the community and lining up post-operative care and
support, the Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you to also include a visit with your
community pharmacist to discuss your medication needs.
Involving your pharmacist -- the drug expert -- in your care will make sure you get the most from
your medicine.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist
Going to the hospital and back home again…make your care
seamless. Here’s what you can do to help
Whether you are going to the hospital or coming home after a hospital stay, working with your
pharmacist can help you enjoy seamless care, helping you avoid medication problems and
making it easier to get back on your feet sooner.
As you prepare to go to the hospital, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) offers these
suggestions for issues to discuss with your community pharmacist:




Make sure you know all the medications you are taking, and why you are taking them.
Ask your pharmacist for a list of all your prescription medications. Make sure it shows
the exact dose of each medication that you take, as well as how often you take it. Add to
the list any nonprescription drugs, herbal and natural health products and vitamins you
are taking. If you take medication regularly, it's always a good idea to have such a list on
hand anyway, in case of emergency.
Bring the list to the hospital with you and present it to the admissions staff so they can
place it in your chart. Make sure your caregivers know the list is available.
Ask about the medications you are already taking. You should know if they will be
continued while you are in the hospital.
Once you are ready to be discharged, your hospital pharmacist can help you make the transition
from hospital to home. CPhA offers these tips on how you can help:






Ask to speak with the hospital pharmacist before you leave the hospital.
Make sure you understand how to take your medicine properly before you go home.
Be certain about whether you are to continue taking medications you were taking before
your admission to hospital.
Tell the hospital pharmacist, doctor and nurse the name of your regular community
pharmacy.
Ask for a list of medications you are taking and give it to your family doctor and
community pharmacist.
Plan to make contact with your community pharmacist as soon as possible after your
discharge from hospital.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
…about managing health conditions
If you need help with your diabetes,
asthma, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol or any health condition you
are managing, talk to your pharmacist.
Your pharmacist can help you learn to
use your medical devices (inhalers,
blood glucose metres, medication
delivery systems) properly — or better
— or provide you with information or
referral…whatever your health care
needs may be.
Your pharmacist is an excellent source
of information, providing advice on
staying well and preventing disease, and
supporting lifestyle changes, such as
quitting smoking.
Pharmacists practice in many settings
and will care for you no matter where.
Whether you are at home, in hospital or
nursing home, at the outpatient clinic, or
when moving between settings, you
should always keep your pharmacist
involved. That way, he or she can
provide you with continuous care which,
among other things, helps avoid
medication errors, such as duplicate
prescriptions or drug interactions that
can easily occur.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association
reminds you that whenever--or
wherever--you have questions about
your medication or need help with your
health care, talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to
your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
...about safety tips for storing and disposing your medications
Safe storage and disposal of your medications is important. The Canadian Pharmacists Association and your
pharmacist offer the following tips:








Don’t keep medication in the bathroom where heat and moisture could damage it.
Do keep your medication in a dry place, out of sunlight and the reach of children.
Always store medications in the original container.
Ask your pharmacist whether medications should be refrigerated.
Clear out your medicine cupboard at least once or twice a year. Although many drugs won’t harm you
past the expiry date, chances are they will have lost some of their potency over time.
Check the manufacturer’s expiry date on the container of non-prescription medications.
Never take or give a medication in the dark. Check the colour and consistency of liquids, for solid
particles or sediment in the bottle or unusual odours. These can indicate drug spoilage.
Return outdated medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal. Never flush them down the toilet or put
them in the garbage where children or animals can get at them.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
…about service
If you're like millions of Canadians who've had a prescription filled this year, you've seen first hand just one
of the many services your pharmacist provides. Your pharmacist can do much more for you than you’ve
come to expect. The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you that you can also talk to your pharmacist
about:







How to manage your diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other conditions.
Help with managing your “wellness” by supporting lifestyle changes (for example, quitting smoking) as
well as with providing information you need about your or your family’s health.
Managing headaches and other minor aches and pains, ulcers, heartburn, stomach upset.
Reviewing all your medication records and overall health to ensure you are getting the most from the
medications you take.
Counselling and information about taking nonprescription medications or herbal and natural health
products (vitamins, too).
Helping you make sense of health information from the Internet or in the news.
Additional help with your prescriptions. Your pharmacist has just talked with you about what your
prescription is for, how to take it, how to store it and what to expect from it. You may need more
information or other help to ensure that you are getting the most from your medication: bigger print on
the label? Help to organize your daily regimen? Every question is a good one if it helps you use
medication properly to improve your health.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you it’s important to develop a relationship with your
pharmacist and always go to the same pharmacy.
Make the most of your medicine…Talk to your pharmacist
Make the most of your medicine…
Talk to your pharmacist
…about your child’s health
When your child isn't feeling well, you may have many questions about what kind of medicine to give. You
want answers immediately.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association reminds you that your pharmacist is always available to answer
questions and help you find ways to make your child--and you--more comfortable when he or she is not
feeling well or has to take medicine.
Talk to your pharmacist to help you make the best choices for your child’s health.
Make the most of your — or your child’s — medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
Make the most of your medicine… Talk to your pharmacist
…about your child’s health
The first years of your child’s life can leave parents with many questions about their child’s health. The
Canadians Pharmacists Association reminds you that your pharmacist is always available to answer questions
and help you find ways to make your child more comfortable when he or she is not feeling well or has to take
medicine.
As a parent, here’s how you can help your pharmacist:
 Always tell your pharmacist about all the medicines your child is taking, including nonprescription
medicines, vitamins and herbal products
 Alert your pharmacist to any allergies or other health problems your child has
 Never leave the pharmacy with questions about your child’s medicine
 Know your child’s weight, as many medicines are dosed by weight
 Always check with the pharmacist before mixing any medicine with food or drink
 Never pretend that medicine is candy
 Always read the label for complete instructions and follow these carefully
When to take your child to the doctor:
If you’re unsure, your pharmacist can help you decide if it’s safe to treat your child’s symptoms yourself of if
you should contact the doctor. As a general rule of thumb, call your doctor if your baby is under six months
of age and has a fever, or if your child has a temperature over 39C (102F)
Storing your medicines safely:
 Keep all medicines away from children (out of sight and reach).
 Keep your medicines in a cool place and away from heat and direct light (e.g., a box that can be locked or
kept high on a shelf, not in your bathroom)
 Keep your medicines in the original labeled container and keep the cap closed
 Do not store medicine with food or household products
 Clean out your medicine cabinet and take old medicines back to your pharmacy for safe disposal. Don’t
throw medicine in the garbage – children or animals may get into it – or flush it down the toilet or sink
Your medicine cabinet:
You should keep these basic items at home to help you care for your child:
 Medicine spoon or oral liquid syringe
 Thermometer
 Pain and fever relievers (acetaminophen or ibuprofen, NOT Aspirin or ASA
 DM (dextromethorphan) syrup for dry cough; check with your pharmacist or doctor before giving to
children under two
 Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) for allergic reactions and itching rashes
 Dimenhydrinate (Gravol) for nausea and vomiting
 Petroleum jelly and diaper rash ointment
 Saline nose drops to help loosen nasal mucus in infants
 Calamine lotion
 Rubbing alcohol to clean thermometers and tweezers – do not use for rubdowns to reduce fever
 Cotton swabs and balls
 Antibiotic ointment and adhesive bandages
Make the most of your — or your child’s — medicine…Talk to your pharmacist.
(Please note: Important information about “seamless care” – you’ll note a number of
our columns relate specifically to this important topic)
NEWS RELEASE
(** Embargoed until 5:00 p.m. Monday, Feb. 02/04 EST **)
Pharmacists call for ‘seamless care’ solution to tackle
unacceptably high number of problems for discharged patients
(Ottawa, Feb. 2/04) -- A new study showing that close to one quarter of patients discharged from hospital suffer adverse events –
many of them medication-related – doesn’t surprise pharmacists, and renews calls from the Canadian Pharmacists Association to
better integrate pharmacists in patient care.
“We’ve long recognized the issue of medication related adverse events, and have been working on solutions for some time,” says
Jeff Poston, CPhA executive director. “Pharmacists have been leading the way in conducting research, developing resources and
tools, striking a task force and publishing a book about how to assess and implement seamless care programs,” says Poston. “It’s
time to formalize the information sharing process.”
Seamless care refers to the continuous, uninterrupted care delivered to patients by pharmacists and other health providers when
moving between different environments; for example, when a patient is discharged home from the hospital. Ideally, practitioners in
hospital and community settings will share information that is essential to treating the patient, especially as they move from one
setting to another.
“We need to eliminate the barriers pharmacists face when treating patients. For example, pharmacists in the community do not
routinely get information on their patient’s diagnoses, lab results and changes to medication in hospital. All of this is vital
information when looking for potential drug problems,” he says.
Bonnie Salsman, a hospital pharmacy consultant and member of the Founding Board of Directors of the Canadian Patient Safety
Institute (CPSI), is deeply involved with the work that is being done by pharmacists to improve patient safety and agrees with
Poston. “Because people being released from hospital often have significant changes in their health status and may be on new
medications, there needs to be a seamless flow of information to caregivers in the community. Pharmacists’ expertise in medication
management can reduce drug related problems and readmissions to hospital, particularly in patients receiving multiple
medications.”
The study, which will be published tomorrow in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, shows that 23% of patients suffered
adverse events and 72% of these were related to medication.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association is the national voluntary organization of pharmacists.
More information:
Janet Becigneul, Media Relations Manager
Tel.: 613-523-7877 or 800-917-9489 ext. 267
E-mail: media@pharmacists.ca
For seamless care resources, visit www.pharmacists.ca\seamlesscare
** Please share the following letter, along with materials,
with your Advertising Manager or Editor**
February 2004
Dear Editor/Advertising Manager
Thank you for using the enclosed materials in your publication during Pharmacist Awareness Week 2004
(March 1-7). Pharmacist Awareness Week, or PAW, is the Canadian Pharmacists Association’s annual
campaign, which is always held during the first full week of March.
We would like to get your feedback on the material—for example, whether you liked it or not; whether you were able to use it; or,
if not, how we could improve it so that you would use it during future Pharmacist Awareness Week campaigns. Also, if you do use
our material, we would appreciate receiving a sample of what you ran (if it’s not too much trouble….).
Your help in answering the following questions will help us produce the most relevant possible material for
next year. Thank you in advance.
Janet Bécigneul — Media Relations Manager for the Canadian Pharmacists Association
1.
Were you able to use the materials we provided?
 Yes
 No
2. If “no,” why not?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. How can we make the materials better for next year?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4.
Do you have a specific request regarding the kind of format you would like to receive the materials in (i.e. electronic
files; “camera-ready”)?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
5. Information about you:
Name: ____________________________________________________________________
Name of publication/station: __________________________________________________
Type of publication (i.e. weekly)/station (radio, TV): ______________________________
Phone number: [
] ___________________Fax: [
]___________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________
City: _____________________________________________________________________
Province: ___________________________ Postal Code:___________________________
E-mail: ___________________________________________________________________
Thank you for your time. Please return completed forms to the Media Relations Manager, c/o Canadian Pharmacists Association
(address on letterhead) or via facsimile: 1-613-523-0445.