Long-Term Care Medication Safety Initiatives

ISMP Canada has contracted with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to enhance medication safety in long-term care facilities. An Advisory Committee was formed to assist in guiding this initiative.

The deliverables for the first year are the:

• Creation of a safe medication practice evaluation tool/checklist
• Coordination of educational workshops/sessions on medication safety
• Distribution of the ISMP medication safety newsletters and alert bulletins
• Development of a Medication Safety Self-Assessment for long-term care facilities and nursing homes (long-term objective).

Action to date for each deliverable includes the following:

• An issues list has been created from feedback from persons working in the long-term care sector gathered through a number of forums. This data was analyzed and a priority of themes pulled for discussion by the Advisory Committee for potential intervention projects. The priority themes are medication reconciliation, medical abbreviations, medications that should not be crushed, and problems with narcotics.
• Educational presentations on medication system safety have been provided at a number of forums including those organized by ISMP Canada. Check the presentation section (insert web site page) for presentations delivered at the most recent Medication System Safety in Long-Term Care workshop (June 2005). If interested in having an ISMP Canada staff member participate in your educational workshop feel free to contact us at 1-866-54-ISMPC (1-866-544-7672) or Kris Wichman at kwichman@ismp-canada.org.
• Safety bulletins are distributed via the assistance of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association , members of the Advisory Group and directly through ISMP Canada. If you work in a long-term care facility in Ontario and are interested in receiving the safety bulletins feel free to contact Kris Wichman at kwichman@ismp-canada.org.
• A draft of a MSSA for complex, continuing care has been developed. It is being circulated for feedback and testing. Volunteers for assisting with the development of a MSSA for nursing homes are being sought now. If interested in participating contact Kris Wichman.