Medications
Make changes in your practice to improve medication prescribing.
Medication prescribing is one of the most common activities in clinical practice. However, the issue of overuse and inappropriate prescribing poses significant challenges in health care. Inappropriate prescribing can result in adverse events, create shortages in the drug supply, and harm the environment.
Given that over one-third of Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations focus on medications, ensuring their appropriate use is crucial for improving patient care, reducing harm, and optimizing health care resource utilization.
Choosing Wisely Canada offers a comprehensive suite of tools, resources, and campaigns that can help clinicians make changes and improve their medication prescribing across practice settings.
Using Antibiotics Wisely in Primary Care
A campaign to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in primary care settings.
Using Antibiotics Wisely in LTC
A campaign to address unnecessary antibiotic use for asymptomatic bacteriuria in long-term care settings.
Opioid Wisely
A campaign to encourage thoughtful conversations about the risks of opioid prescribing.
Let's Clear the Air
Encouraging thoughtful conversations between clinicians and patients who have received a diagnosis of asthma or COPD.
Insomnia Prescription Pad
Provides simple information about how to improve sleep without the use of medications.
"Are you on sleeping pills?" Poster
A poster for waiting rooms to encourage conversations about the use of sleeping pills in older adults.
Antibiotic Viral and Delayed Prescription Pads
Tools for prescribers to provide other ways to treat viral symptoms without the use of antibiotics.
Drowsy Without Feeling Lousy
A toolkit for deprescribing benzodiazepines and other sedative hypnotics in primary care.
Less Sedatives for Your Older Relatives
A toolkit for reducing inappropriate use of benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotics among older adults in hospitals.
Bye Bye PPI
A toolkit for deprescribing proton pump inhibitors in EMR-enabled primary care settings.
Bronchiolitis: Less is Best
A new toolkit for the management and assessment of bronchiolitis.
The Cold Standard
A toolkit for using antibiotics wisely for the management of respiratory tract infections.
When Psychosis Isn’t the Diagnosis
A toolkit for reducing inappropriate antipsychotics use in long-term care.
Antibiotics for Ear Infections in Children
When you need them and when you don’t.
Antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections in Older People
When you need them and when you don’t.
Colds, Flu, and Other Respiratory Infections
Don't rush to antibiotics.
Insomnia and Anxiety in Older People
Sleeping pills are usually not the best solution.
Navigating Colds, Flu, and Kids
Don’t rush to antibiotics.
Opioids
When you need them and when you don’t.
Treating Migraine Headaches
Some drugs should rarely be used.
Treating Sinus Infections
Don't rush to antibiotics.
Treating Heartburn and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux (GERD)
Using Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPI) carefully.
Treating Frequent Headaches with Pain Relievers
Don’t take them too often.
Treating Disruptive Behaviour in People with Dementia
Antipsychotic drugs are usually not the best choice.
Treating Breathing Issues: COPD
Have you been told that you have COPD or prescribed an inhaler (puffer) for COPD, but never been tested?
Treating Breathing Issues: Asthma
Have you been told that you have asthma or prescribed an inhaler (puffer) for asthma, but never been tested?