What causes near-misses and how are they mitigated?

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the reasons hospital RNs attribute to near-misses and the techniques they used to mitigate these near-misses to prevent serious reportable events. BACKGROUND: Our health system developed this definition for the study: A near-miss is a variation in a normal process that, if continued, could have a negative impact on patients. METHODS: Study participants were RNs who completed a survey about a self-reported near-miss or another RN's near-miss they'd witnessed. Data collected included participant demographics, near-miss occurrence by day of week and time, near-miss type, and attributed causes. RESULTS: A total of 144 near-miss types were self-reported or witnessed by 123 respondents; of these, 43 (35%) self-reported a near-miss event and 80 (65%) witnessed a near-miss event. The respondents identified medication administration (19%) and transcription errors (10%) as the most frequent types of near-misses (N = 144). Selecting from 412 factors related to near-misses, more RNs attributed near-misses to personal factors than institutional factors. Top personal factors were not following policy and inappropriate decision making or critical assumptions. Top institutional factors were work-related interruptions and distractions, and poor communication about a patient. A total of 400 techniques were used to mitigate the near-misses, nearly one per causative factor identified. Top techniques used were stop, think, act, review (STAR) and verification of proper procedures or actions. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital administrators should consider both personal and institutional factors when evaluating patient-safety programs. Education about mitigating techniques for near-misses is imperative for RNs.

Corrigendum to "Uptake of community pharmacist prescribing over a three-year period" [Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Volume 9, March 2023, 100221].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100221.].

What causes near-misses and how are they mitigated?

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine the reasons hospital RNs attribute to near-misses and the techniques they used to mitigate these near-misses to prevent serious reportable events. BACKGROUND: Our health system developed this definition for the study: A near-miss is a variation in a normal process that, if continued, could have a negative impact on patients. METHODS: Study participants were RNs who completed a survey about a self-reported near-miss or another RN's near-miss they'd witnessed. Data collected included participant demographics, near-miss occurrence by day of week and time, near-miss type, and attributed causes. RESULTS: A total of 144 near-miss types were self-reported or witnessed by 123 respondents; of these, 43 (35%) self-reported a near-miss event and 80 (65%) witnessed a near-miss event. The respondents identified medication administration (19%) and transcription errors (10%) as the most frequent types of near-misses (N = 144). Selecting from 412 factors related to near-misses, more RNs attributed near-misses to personal factors than institutional factors. Top personal factors were not following policy and inappropriate decision making or critical assumptions. Top institutional factors were work-related interruptions and distractions, and poor communication about a patient. A total of 400 techniques were used to mitigate the near-misses, nearly one per causative factor identified. Top techniques used were stop, think, act, review (STAR) and verification of proper procedures or actions. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital administrators should consider both personal and institutional factors when evaluating patient-safety programs. Education about mitigating techniques for near-misses is imperative for RNs.

The geographic accessibility of pharmacies in Nova Scotia.

INTRODUCTION: Geographic proximity is an important component of access to primary care and the pharmaceutical services of community pharmacies. Variations in access to primary care have been found between rural and urban areas in Canadian and international jurisdictions. We studied access to community pharmacies in the province of Nova Scotia. METHODS: We used information on the locations of 297 community pharmacies operating in Nova Scotia in June 2011. Population estimates at the census block level and network analysis were used to study the number of Nova Scotia residents living within 800 m (walking) and 2 km and 5 km (driving) distances of a pharmacy. We then simulated the impact of pharmacy closures on geographic access in urban and rural areas. RESULTS: We found that 40.3% of Nova Scotia residents lived within walking distance of a pharmacy; 62.6% and 78.8% lived within 2 km and 5 km, respectively. Differences between urban and rural areas were pronounced: 99.2% of urban residents lived within 5 km of a pharmacy compared with 53.3% of rural residents. Simulated pharmacy closures had a greater impact on geographic access to community pharmacies in rural areas than urban areas. CONCLUSION: The majority of Nova Scotia residents lived within walking or short driving distance of at least 1 community pharmacy. While overall geographic access appears to be lower than in the province of Ontario, the difference appears to be largely driven by the higher proportion of rural dwellers in Nova Scotia. Further studies should examine how geographic proximity to pharmacies influences patients' access to traditional and specialized pharmacy services, as well as health outcomes and adherence to therapy. Can Pharm J 2013;146:39-46.

Uptake of community pharmacist prescribing over a three-year period.

Objectives: Pharmacists in Nova Scotia have had legislated authority to prescribe since 2011. This study aimed to describe the prescribing activities of pharmacists and the characteristics of patients who used pharmacist prescribing services. Methods: Using provincial health administrative databases we identified all community pharmacists who prescribed during the study period (October 2016 to March 2020) and correspondingly patients who had medications prescribed by a pharmacist during this period. Differences in, and predictors of the quantity of pharmacist prescribing over three fiscal years (April 2017 to March 2020) were described. Pharmacist prescribing activity was compared across the fiscal years of the study period with One-way Analysis of Variance. Negative binomial regression examined patient factors associated with use of pharmacist prescribing services. Analysis was carried out using SAS ENTERPRISE GUIDE v.8.2 (SAS Institute Cary, NC, USA). Key findings: A total of 1182 pharmacist prescribers were identified, who on average prescribed 24.6, 26.3, and 32.5 (p < 0.001) times per month in fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, respectively. The patient cohort contained 372,203 Nova Scotians over the 3-year period. For approved common and minor ailment prescribing in Nova Scotia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, vaccines (non-travel), contraceptive management, herpes zoster treatment, and allergic rhinitis had the highest number of prescriptions over the study period. Patient factors most strongly related to receiving more prescribing services by a pharmacist included receiving income assistance without copay (Incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.70), having >2 comorbidities (IRR = 1.51), male sex (IRR = 1.03), and greater age (IRR = 1.01). Those from an urban area (IRR = 0.92) or having a higher income (IRR = 0.95) received fewer pharmacist prescribing services (all p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Pharmacist prescribing increased over the 3-year period. Patients who were older and those with multiple comorbidities used pharmacist prescribing services most often. Prescribing activities represent an increasingly utilized role for pharmacists in primary care.

Increased self-reported pharmacist prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Using the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify barriers and facilitators to prescribing.

BACKGROUND: Community pharmacists are positioned to improve access to medications through their ever-expanding role as prescribers, with this role becoming more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: Our research aimed to determine the extent of self-reported pharmacist prescribing pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, to identify barriers and facilitators to pharmacist prescribing, and to explore the relationship between these factors and self-reported prescribing activity. METHODS: A questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDFv2) assessing self-reported prescribing was electronically distributed to all direct patient care pharmacists in NS (N = 1338) in July 2020. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine temporal differences in self-reported prescribing activity. TDFv2 responses were descriptively reported as positive (agree/strongly agree), neutral (uncertain), and negative (strongly disagree/disagree) based on the 5-point Likert scale assessing barriers and facilitators to prescribing from March 2020 onward (i.e., 'during' COVID-19). Simple logistic regression was used to measure the relationship between TDFv2 domain responses and self-reported prescribing activity. RESULTS: A total of 190 pharmacists (14.2%) completed the survey. Over 98% of respondents reported prescribing at least once per month in any of the approved prescribing categories, with renewals being the most common activity reported. Since the pandemic, activity in several categories of prescribing significantly increased, including diagnosis supported by protocol (29.0% vs. 58.9%, p < 0.01), minor and common ailments (25.3% vs 34.7%, p = 0.03), preventative medicine (22.1% vs. 33.2%, p < 0.01). Amongst the TDFv2 domains, Beliefs about Consequences domain had the largest influence on prescribing activity (OR = 3.13, 95% CI 1.41-6.97, p < 0.01), with Social Influences (OR = 2.85, 95% CI 1.42-5.70, p < 0.01) being the next most influential. CONCLUSION: Self-reported prescribing by direct patient care community pharmacists in Nova Scotia increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for government-funded services. Key barriers to address, and facilitators to support pharmacist prescribing were identified and can be used to inform future interventions.

The effect of an educational intervention on meperidine use in Nova Scotia, Canada: a time series analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of a prescriber focused individual educational and audit-feedback intervention undertaken by the Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program (NSPMP) in March/April 2007 to reduce meperidine use. METHOD: The NSPMP records all prescriptions for controlled substances dispensed in community pharmacies in Nova Scotia, Canada. Oral meperidine use from 1 July 2005 to 31 December 2009 was examined using NSPMP data. Monthly totals for the following were obtained: number of individual patients who filled at least one meperidine prescription, number of prescriptions, and number of tablets dispensed. Data were analyzed graphically to observe overall trends. The intervention effect was estimated on the logarithmic scale with autocorrelations over time modeled by an integrated autoregressive moving average model for each outcome measure. RESULTS: An overall trend toward decreasing use from July 2005 to December 2009 was apparent for all three outcome measures. The intervention was associated with a statistically significant reduction in meperidine use, after adjusting for the overall long-term trend. Compared with the pre-intervention period, the monthly number of patients declined by 12% (p < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5%-18%), prescriptions by 10% (p < 0.001; 95%CI = 3%-17%), and tablets by 13.5% (p < 0.001, 95%CI = 6%-29%) in the post-intervention period. CONCLUSION: Given the risks associated with meperidine, determining that this intervention successfully reduced meperidine use is encouraging. This study highlights the potential for using population data such as the NSPMP to evaluate the effectiveness of population-level interventions to improve medication use, including professional, organizational, financial, and regulatory initiatives.

Population prevalence of high dose paracetamol in dispensed paracetamol/opioid prescription combinations: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is generally considered a safe medication, but is associated with hepatotoxicity at doses above doses of 4.0 g/day, and even below this daily dose in certain populations. METHODS: The Nova Scotia Prescription Monitoring Program (NSPMP) in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia is a legislated organization that collects dispensing information on all out-of-hospital prescription controlled drugs dispensed for all Nova Scotia residents. The NSPMP provided data to track all paracetamol/opioids redeemed by adults in Nova Scotia, from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2010. Trends in the number of adults dispensed these prescriptions and the numbers of prescriptions and tablets dispensed over this period were determined. The numbers and proportions of adults who filled prescriptions exceeding 4.0 g/day and 3.25 g/day were determined for the one-year period July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010. Data were stratified by sex and age (<65 versus 65+). RESULTS: Both the number of prescriptions filled and the number of tablets dispensed increased over the study period, although the proportion of the adult population who filled at least one paracetamol/opioid prescription was lower in each successive one-year period. From July 2009 to June 2010, one in 12 adults (n = 59,197) filled prescriptions for over 13 million paracetamol/opioid tablets. Six percent (n = 3,786) filled prescriptions that exceeded 4.0 g/day and 18.6% (n = 11,008) exceeded 3.25 g/day of paracetamol at least once. These findings exclude non-prescription paracetamol and paracetamol-only prescribed medications. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial number of individuals who redeem prescriptions for paracetamol/opioid combinations may be at risk of paracetamol-related hepatotoxicity. Healthcare professionals must be vigilant when prescribing and dispensing these medications in order to reduce the associated risks.

Independent pharmacist prescribing in Canada.

BACKGROUND: While pharmacists are trained in the selection and management of prescription medicines, traditionally their role in prescribing has been limited. In the past 5 years, many provinces have expanded the pharmacy scope of practice. However, there has been no previous systematic investigation and comparison of these policies. METHODS: We performed a comprehensive policy review and comparison of pharmacist prescribing policies in Canadian provinces in August 2010. Our review focused on documents, regulations and interviews with officials from the relevant government and professional bodies. We focused on policies that allowed community pharmacists to independently continue, adapt (modify) and initiate prescriptions. RESULTS: Pharmacists could independently prescribe in 7 of 10 provinces, including continuing existing prescriptions (7 provinces), adapting existing prescriptions (4 provinces) and initiating new prescriptions (3 provinces). However, there was significant heterogeneity between provinces in the rules governing each function. CONCLUSIONS: The legislated ability of pharmacists to independently prescribe in a community setting has substantially increased in Canada over the past 5 years and looks poised to expand further in the near future. Moving forward, these programs must be evaluated and compared on issues such as patient outcomes and safety, professional development, human resources and reimbursement.

Ecological-environmental challenges and restoration of aquatic ecosystems of the Middle-Eastern.

Water resource management has numerous environmental challenges, especially in aquatic ecosystems such as rivers due to the heterogeneous distribution of surface water resources, among other diverse impacting factors. In Iran (one of the countries of the Middle-East), population growth, development of urban communities and development of agricultural and industrial activities provide additional impacts on the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The United Nations declared the third decade of this century (2021-2030) as the decade of ecosystem restoration. In this study, we have selected the Zayandehroud River as a case study and then evaluated the pathology of existing statuses. Strategies and approaches were studied and analyzed including the need to utilize integrated water resources management (IWRM), approaches for dealing with drought conditions, payment of water rights and dam alternatives, and the need for ecological landscape studies. Then, strategies and approaches appropriate from the perspective of restoration were identified, including the techniques used, and the experiences of different countries. The analysis showed that similar regions of Iran in the Middle-East need to change the paradigm of "nature control" to the paradigm of "nature management" and reduce reliance on structural and technological solutions in water resources management.

Opioid Use at End-Of-Life Among Nova Scotia Patients With Cancer.

Purpose: To determine the factors associated with opioid analgesic prescriptions as measured by community pharmacy dispensations to all Nova Scotia (NS) patients with cancer at end-of-life from 2005 to 2009. Methods: The NS Cancer Registry and the NS Prescription Monitoring Program (NSPMP) were used to link Nova Scotians who had a cancer diagnosis and received a prescription for opioids in their last year of life (n = 6,186) from 2005 to 2009. The association of factors with opioid dispensations at end-of-life were determined (e.g., patient demographics, type of prescriber, type of cancer, and opioid type, formulation, and dose). Results: Almost 54% (n = 6,186) of the end-of-life study population with cancer (n = 11,498) was linked to the NSPMP and therefore dispensed opioids. Most prescriptions were written by general practitioners (89%) and were for strong opioids (81%). Immediate-release formulations were more common than modified-release formulations. Although the annual average parenteral morphine equivalents (MEQ) did not change during the study period, the number of opioid prescriptions per patient per year increased from 5.9 in 2006 to 7.0 in 2009 (p < 0.0001). Patients age 80 and over received the fewest prescriptions (mean 3.9/year) and the lowest opioid doses (17.0 MEQ) while patients aged 40-49 received the most prescriptions (mean 14.5/year) and the highest doses of opioid (80.2 MEQ). Conclusion: Our study examined opioid analgesic use at end-of-life in patients with cancer for a large real-world population and determined factors, trends and patterns associated with type and dose of opioid dispensed. We provide information regarding how general practitioners prescribe opioid therapy to patients at end-of-life. Our data suggest that at the time of this study, there may have been under-prescribing of opioids to patients with cancer at end-of-life. This information can be used to increase awareness among general practitioners, and to inform recommendations from professional regulatory bodies, to aid in managing pain for cancer patients at end-of-life. Future work could address how opioid prescribing has changed over time, and whether efforts to reduce opioid prescribing in response to the opioid crisis have affected patients with cancer at end-of-life in Nova Scotia.

Preventive medication use among persons with limited life expectancy.

Persons with limited life expectancy (LLE) - less than 1 year - are significant consumers of health care, are at increased risk of polypharmacy and adverse drug events, and have dynamic health statuses. Therefore, medication use among this population must be appropriate and regularly evaluated. The objective of this review is to assess the current state of knowledge and clinical practice presented in the literature regarding preventive medication use among persons with LLE. We searched Medline, Embase, and CINAHL using Medical Subject Headings. Broad searches were first conducted using the terms 'terminal care or therapy' or 'advanced disease' and 'polypharmacy' or 'inappropriate medication' or 'preventive medicine', followed by more specific searches using the terms 'statins' or 'anti-hypertensives' or 'bisphosphonates' or 'laxatives' and 'terminal care'. Frameworks to assess appropriate versus inappropriate medications for persons with LLE, and the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication use among this population, are presented. A considerable proportion of individuals with a known terminal condition continue to take chronic disease preventive medications until death despite questionable benefit. The addition of palliative preventive medications is advised. There is an indication that as death approaches the shift from a curative to palliative goal of care translates into a shift in medication use. This literature review is a first step towards improving medication use and decreasing polypharmacy in persons at the end of life. There is a need to develop consensus criteria to assess appropriate versus inappropriate medication use, specifically for individuals at the end of life.

Cutting cost and increasing access to colorectal cancer screening: another approach to following the guidelines.

CONTEXT: Through medical decision making, physicians in the U.S. influence the spending of >$1.3 trillion or 15% of the gross domestic product. U.S. physicians are challenged to identify areas of clinical practice to improve while cutting cost and increasing access. Primary screening for colorectal cancer is a good example to illustrate this point. OBJECTIVE: To apply a population-based method of medical decision making in the area of primary screening for colorectal cancer in order to illustrate a reduction in health care costs while increasing access and maintaining quality of care. DESIGN: We used a combination of (a) census population data, (b) National Cancer Institute Survey data on screening rates, and (c) charge data to estimate the current costs of colorectal cancer screening. We also estimated cost and capacity increases that would occur under various other screening scenarios. These included all currently screened subjects receiving annual fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), all currently unscreened individuals undergoing either colonoscopy every decade or annual FOBT, and all eligible subjects undergoing annual FOBT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cost and access differences between current screening activity and other potential scenarios compliant with guidelines. RESULTS: Screening for colorectal cancer with yearly, six-window, rehydrated FOBT for all normal-risk individuals over the age of 50 has the potential to screen 3,813,095 more Americans for colon cancer yearly than are currently being screened, while costing $8.7 billion less per decade than what is currently being spent on screening a fraction of the population. Looking into the future, it is possible to increase screening rates from 50% to 100%, while saving almost $10 billion per decade by using FOBT for all eligible Americans. In practice, some proportion of these benefits would be realized as the calculations assume a 100% patient compliance rate. CONCLUSIONS: Considering a population-based approach and the balance among quality, accessibility, and cost parameters, we recommend primary screening for colorectal cancer to be based on yearly six-window, rehydrated FOBT. Colonoscopy due to cost and access issues should be relegated to secondary screening and case finding.

Disaster health education and training: a pilot questionnaire to understand current status.

In October 2004, a World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) Seminar was convened in Brusselsby the Education Committee to discuss Disaster Education and Training. During this seminar, it became apparent that there was no single tool available to assess knowledge, skills, and resources within this field. Therefore, a tool was administered to 50 of the delegates to assess if the tool would facilitate information-sharing and curriculum development in disaster health education. The WADEM Education Committee devised a reference scheme for disaster health training and education based on seven educational levels within a framework based on the Bradt model. A questionnaire was developed to answer questions regarding current practices in disaster health education and training, and the perceived barriers to creating an international system of standards, guidelines, and accreditation. The questionnaire was sent to all of the delegates and the responses were analyzed. The questionnaire was useful for information-sharing and curriculum development. Based on the respondents' experience, strategies were put forward for adopting better coordinated framework for disaster health education and training. This questionnaire should be updated and repeated annually within the WADEM. Wider use of the tool is recommended to help evaluate current educational resources in disaster health and in the wider educational field. It could facilitate the development and audit of current and future courses. An international system for education and training should lead to more efficient and coordinated health responses to disasters.

Trends in Statin Use in Seniors 1999 to 2013: Time Series Analysis.

PURPOSE: To examine HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) drug dispensing patterns to Nova Scotia Seniors' Pharmacare program (NSSPP) beneficiaries over a 14-year period in response to: 1) rosuvastatin market entry in 2003, 2) JUPITER trial publication in 2008, and 3) generic atorvastatin availability in 2010. METHODS: All NSSPP beneficiaries who redeemed at least one prescription for a statin from April 1, 1999 to March 31, 2013 were included. Aggregated, anonymous monthly prescription counts were extracted by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness (Nova Scotia, Canada) and changes in dispensing patterns of statins were measured. Data were analyzed using descriptive analyses and interrupted time series methods. RESULTS: The percentage of NSSPP beneficiaries dispensed any statin increased from 5.3% in April 1999 to 20.7% in March 2013. In 1999, most NSSPP beneficiaries were dispensed either simvastatin (29.5%) or atorvastatin (28.7%). When rosuvastatin was added to the NSSPP Formulary in August 2003, prescriptions dispensed for simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, and fluvastatin declined significantly (slope change, -0.0027; 95% confidence interval (CI), (-0.0046, -0.0009)). This significant decline continued following the publication of JUPITER (level change, -0.1974; 95% CI, (-0.2991, -0.0957)) and the availability of generic atorvastatin (level change, -0.2436; 95% CI, (-0.3314, -0.1558)). Atorvastatin was not significantly affected by any of the three interventions, although it maintained an overall decreasing trend. Only upon the availability of generic atorvastatin did the upward trend in rosuvastatin use decrease significantly (slope change, -0.0010, 95% CI, (-0.0015, -0.0005)). CONCLUSIONS: The type and rate of statins dispensed to NSSPP beneficiaries changed from 1999 to 2013 in response to the availability of new agents and publication of the JUPITER trial. The overall proportion of NSSPP beneficiaries dispensed a statin increased approximately 4-fold during the study period. In 2013, rosuvastatin was the most commonly dispensed statin (44.1%) followed by atorvastatin (39.1%).

Recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Heart and Lung Xenotransplantation Working Group.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recently convened the Heart and Lung Xenotransplantation Working Group to identify hurdles to the clinical application of xenotransplantation, defined as the use of animal organs or tissue for transplantation, and to recommend possible solutions to these problems. The group consisted of experts in xenotransplantation from academia, industry, and federal agencies, and the discussions focused on those areas within the mission of the NHLBI. The areas covered included immunologic and physiological barriers to xenotransplantation, the limitations of the current animal models, the need for collaboration among groups, the high costs of studies using nonhuman primates and genetic engineering of pigs, and the unique problems of lung xenotransplantation. This report is a summary of those discussions.

International standards and guidelines on education and training for the multi-disciplinary health response to major events that threaten the health status of a community.

UNLABELLED: The 13th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine, convened in Melbourne, Australia in May 2003, requested the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) to lead the development of "International Standards and Guidelines on Education and Training for "Disaster Medicine". This Paper has been developed by a Working Group of the WADEM Education Committee ("the Working Group") in response to that request from the international "Disaster Medicine" and emergency health community. The main focus of the Working Group is to develop standards and guidelines for education and training in the multi-disciplinary health response to major events that threaten the health status of a community. The contemporary view is that of a multi-disciplinary health response to major events which threaten the health status of a community, including the prevention and mitigation of future events, and taking account of the broader context in which these events occur. It is the vision of the Working Group that evidence-based standards and guidelines for education and training must be developed in a broad sense, for all members of the healthcare community. Rather than purely describing isolated performance indicators, the Working Group agreed that priority be given to explaining the general approach, presenting the conceptual framework, clarifying important principles, and describing the educational needs and training requirements for situations for which there exist a major threat to the health status of a community. It is not the intent to produce an updated educational curriculum for special courses in "Disaster Medicine" by listing levels of theoretical knowledge and clinical skills required for medical doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Nor, does the Working Group think it is useful to repeat requirements and learning outcomes that are part of the normal basic education and training for the various health professionals. The purpose of this Issues Paper is to present an initial summary of current issues relating to an international perspective of "Disaster Medicine" education and training. This summary has been prepared following discussions within the Working Group of the WADEM Education Committee. The paper aims to stimulate debate and form the basis of further of discussion at an international meeting scheduled to be held in Brussels (Belgium) on 29-31 October 2004. The Working Group has structured this Issues Paper into five parts and has identified several key issues for discussion. Part 1: Understanding the contemporary interpretation of the multi-disciplinary health response to major events that threaten the health status of a community. Issue 1: Definitions and terminology in "Disaster Medicine"; Issue 2: Getting to grips with the contemporary concepts and international trends in 'Disaster Medicine"; and, Issue 3: Valuing personal attributes in "Disaster Medicine" practitioners. Part 2: Developing an underlying scientific framework for linking theory to practice in "Disaster Medicine". Issue 4: Creating a scientific framework(s) for "Disaster Medicine". Part 3: Defining a conceptual framework and general principals to develop "International Standards and Guidelines on Education and Training for the Multi-disciplinary Health Response to Major Events that Threaten the Health Status of a Community". Issue 5.: Where are we now? Getting to grips with the contemporary concepts and international trends in "Disaster Medicine" education and training. Issue 6: Where do we want to get to? Identifying contemporary, evidence-based education and training standards and guidelines for 'Disaster Medicine" education and training programs. Issue 7: How do we get there? Overcoming barriers to introducing the International Standards and Guidelines. Part 4: Maintaining the momentum--improving international collaboration. Issue 8: Exploring the feasibility of an ongoing, international, collaborative network of "Centres of Excellence" in "Disaster Medicine" research and/or education. Part 5: Additional input. Issue 9: What other issues would you like to bring to the attention of the Working Group? CONCLUSIONS: The results of the consultation will lead to the development of international standards and guidelines that will be presented and consensus sought during the 14th World Congress on Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WCDEM-14) to be convened in Edinburgh in May, 2005.

Use of opioid analgesics among older persons with colorectal cancer in two health districts with palliative care programs.

CONTEXT: Prescription of opioid analgesics is a key component of pain management among persons with cancer at the end of life. OBJECTIVES: To use a population-based method to assess the use of opioid analgesics within the community among older persons with colorectal cancer (CRC) before death and determine factors associated with the use of opioid analgesics. METHODS: Data were derived from a retrospective, linked administrative database study of all persons who were diagnosed with CRC between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2005 in Nova Scotia, Canada. This study included all persons who 1) were 66 years or older at the date of diagnosis; 2) died between January 1, 2001 and April 1, 2008; and 3) resided in health districts with formal palliative care programs (PCPs) (n=657). Factors associated with having filled at least one prescription for a so-called "strong" opioid analgesic in the six months before death were examined using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: In all, 36.7% filled at least one prescription for any opioid in the six months before death. Adjusting for all covariates, filling a prescription for a strong opioid was associated with enrollment in a PCP (odds ratio [OR]=3.18, 95% CI=2.05-4.94), residence in a long-term care facility (OR=2.19, 95% CI=1.23-3.89), and a CRC cause of death (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.14-2.68). Persons were less likely to fill a prescription for a strong opioid if they were older (OR=0.97, 95% CI=0.95-0.99), male (OR=0.59, 95% 0.40-0.86), and diagnosed less than six months before death (OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.41-0.93). CONCLUSION: PCPs may play an important role in enabling access to end-of-life care within the community.

Older adults living with osteoarthritis: examining the relationship of age and gender to medicine use.

Osteoarthritis (OA) in older adults is a prevalent chronic condition associated with substantial pain and disability. Oral analgesic use is a central component of symptom management. Medication use in this population, however, is complex and must balance the need for symptom control with drug safety concerns. Our study focus was to illustrate and discuss the variability in the medications used to manage OA-related symptoms. We analysed data from a sample of community-dwelling persons aged 55 and older with hip or knee arthritis to examine social and medical factors associated with reported variation in OA drugs. A key finding is that drug types used by OA patients vary by age and gender, independent of disease, and medical and social context. Possible explanations related to patient and professional preferences are considered.