CPSBC recognizes that these are challenging times for health-care delivery. Physicians are exposed to pressures when it comes to prescribing medications that may be overvalued by their patients. Medications such as opioids, sedatives, antimicrobials, and stimulants are often sought but not always needed. It can be difficult to maintain patient-centred care when there is pressure to prescribe medications that may lead to unintended consequences or harmful outcomes.
CPSBC is offering a new learning opportunity in partnership with The Foundation for Medical Excellence designed to assist clinicians in successfully managing the expectations of patients with complex care needs.
The conference assumes that clinicians have the fundamentals of prescribing opioids, sedatives, stimulants, and antimicrobials. Sessions will not focus on the science of these medications or the conditions they treat, but rather on the patient's request for these drugs. The program will help clinicians recognize limits and set mutual goals of care with patients to better address their pain and distress.
Objectives
- Build knowledge on the effective treatment of complex medical conditions
- Understand tools for assessing risk in prescribing a variety of medications overvalued by patients
- Practise interview skills for this group of patients
- Develop awareness of personal factors that influence effectiveness and impact clinician well-being
The program includes four one-hour asynchronous presentations discussing approaches to appropriate prescribing, and a one-day virtual conference on November 22, 2024 where subject matter experts will dive into the nuances of reconciling patient requests with prescribing best practices.
This program has been certified by the ºÚÁÏÉç of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 9 Mainpro+ credits.
Learn more and register .
Other resources
CPSBC also has self-directed online courses to assist registrants with opioid and sedative prescribing:
- Safe Prescribing of Opioids and Sedatives (7–12 minutes): This course focuses on the ºÚÁÏÉç’s expectations when prescribing these higher-risk medications, including assessing patients appropriately, considering other medical conditions and medications, and taking steps to mitigate risk of harm.
- Navigating Psychoactive Prescribing (20–25 minutes): This course explains how to lower the risks of prescribing psychoactive medications, manage the treatment of chronic pain and substance use disorder, and navigate difficult conversations.