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The goal of this project is to improve the use of medications in Ontario Long-Term Care Homes.

1. How will this project affect residents of Long-Term Care Homes?

Your pharmacist, working together with your physician or nurse practitioner and the health care team, will identify which of your medications are eligible for a change as part of this project. This will be done either through your regular medication review.

Your pharmacist will submit a recommendation to your physician/nurse practitioner along with a plan to help you transition to a new medication if one of the medications you are taking is eligible for a change through this initiative.

It is important to note that no changes to your medications will be made without your consent. A member of your health care team will ensure you understand the recommended change and when you can expect it to take place.

You can expect to experience no change to your current level and quality of care and no change to your monthly drug costs, whether you consent to medication changes as part of this project or not.

2. When will this project begin and how long will it run for?

This project will start in September 2016 and will be assessed after one year. There will also be regular check-ins after the project is launched.

Your pharmacist will discuss any medication changes with you at your regular medication review.

Medication Review Project Frequently Asked Questions for Long-Term Care Home Residents

3. What if I prefer to stay on the medication that I have always taken or my doctor or nurse practitioner recommends I stay on the same medication?

As a Long-Term Care Home resident, you can be assured that switching a drug for an equally effective one is safe. However, if you prefer to continue taking your current medication, you can.

Also, if your physician or nurse practitioner recommends you remain on the same medication because you’ve tried the recommended alternative drug before OR you previously experienced a bad reaction to it, you can continue with your current medication.

In this case, your physician or nurse practitioner will document this decision on your medication records to ensure the pharmacist is aware that there should be no change to your medication.

This project is supported by:

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Questions? Your home administrator and staff have also received information about this project and can help to answer any questions you may have. If you have specific questions about the medications included in this project, please talk to a member of your health care team for more information.

4. Will all of my medications I currently take be changed as part of this initiative?

No, this project involves only seven drug categories, so not all of the medications you take will likely be eligible to be switched.

A group of physicians and pharmacists worked together to select the seven drug categories. If you are currently taking one of these medications, it may be identified by your health care team as one that could be changed to an equally effective drug.

5. What happens if I have a bad reaction to the medication I’m switched to as part of this project?

The medications chosen for this initiative are as safe and effective as the medications originally prescribed to you by your health care team.

However, if you happen to experience a bad reaction to a particular drug, your health care team will work together to identify an alternative medication within the same category for you. This follows the usual process in place for dealing with these circumstances.

Any reaction you experience will be documented on your resident medication profile within the Long-Term Care Home.

6. I thought my prescription medications were already changed to generic drugs. What is different about this project?

For all recipients of the Ontario Drug Benefit program, including residents of Long-Term Care Homes, the program pays for the lowest cost drug, where both generic and brand name drugs are available.

However, this project is not about generic drugs. This project involves increasing the use of safe, effective and less expensive drugs considered to work just as well as expensive drugs. For example, there are a variety of drugs in different categories prescribed to manage high blood pressure.

7. Are there examples of similar projects ongoing across Canada?

Yes, many hospitals in Ontario as well as across Canada follow a similar process, where a separate drug lists of safe and effective medications are chosen. Long-Term Care Homes in Alberta also follow a similar model.

No separate formulary for medications prescribed in Long-Term Care Homes in Ontario will be created as part of this project. This project has chosen seven drug categories for streamlining of medication choices.

Another ongoing project in Ontario is the Appropriate Prescribing in Nursing Homes Demonstration Project, which looks to improve quality and resident/family experience by working to ensure anti-psychotic medications are appropriately prescribed in the Long-Term Care Home.

Medication Review Project Frequently Asked Questions for Long-Term Care Home Residents