Under the leadership of the Canadian Pharmacists Association we are excited to announce the release of 6 new recommendations of tests, treatments or procedures to question:

• Don’t use a medication to treat the side effects of another medication unless absolutely necessary.
• Don’t recommend the use of over-the-counter medications containing codeine for the management of acute or chronic pain. Counsel patients against their use and recommend safe alternatives.
• Don’t start or renew drug therapy unless there is an appropriate indication and reasonable expectation of benefit in the individual patient.
• Don’t renew long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy for gastrointestinal symptoms without an attempt to stop or reduce (taper) therapy at least once per year for most patients.
• Question the use of antipsychotics as a first-line intervention to treat primary insomnia in any age group.
• Don’t prescribe or dispense benzodiazepines without building a discontinuation strategy into the patient’s treatment plan (except for patients who have a valid indication for long-term use).

See Six Things Pharmacists and Patients Should Question to view the full list, including a rationale and references for each recommendation.

We encourage you to share broadly and thank you for your continued engagement in the Choosing Wisely Canada campaign!