Within the next five years, the World Health Organization’s global safety challenge goal is to reduce medication-related harm by 50 per cent. Since most prescriptions originate in out-patient settings, creating and evaluating safe and effective medication use are essential for the safety and sustainability of our health system. Our scientists are developing innovative care models to improve medication safety in ambulatory settings and optimize care at the individual, organizational and health system levels. We have also identified the gaps in use of community pharmacists to support patients during transitions of care and collaborated on the creation of five medication class-focused deprescribing clinical practice guidelines.
Drug Policy Evaluation & Post-Marketing Surveillance of Medications
Mina Tadrous is using data to better understand and improve the way we use and pay for medications. His research explores everything from how safe and effective a drug is, to how we can improve how healthcare providers prescribe it. He works closely with policymakers and uses large data sets to answer questions about medication, real-world safety and effectiveness, and improving the optimal use of medications.
Sex-Specific Analysis
Tadrous is also exploring the lack of sex-specific analysis in clinical trials that can be potentially damaging to women’s health. Due to a lack of sex and gender emphasis, safety and efficacy concerns impacting drug therapies and treatment protocols for women may not have been addressed. Tadrous’ work aims to better understand these health gaps to ensure clinicians are well-informed about sex-specific differences that affect how medications are prescribed.
- Medication safety
- Deprescribing clinical practice guidelines
- Pharmaceutical Policy
- Vess Stamenova, Research Lead
- Cherry Chu, Biostatistician
- Janette Brual, Research Associate
- Cathleen Fleury, Research Assistant
Tadrous is working to develop data-derived quality indicators to improve care. Through this work he aims to help clinicians use data to improve prescribing practices, and he plans to expand this project to provide pharmacists with data to better understand their impact on patients.
- Tadrous led an ODPRN drug class review for chronic hepatitis B treatments that informed a policy expanding access to these medications, improving access to life-saving treatments for thousands of patients in Ontario.
- Tadrous has studied the distribution of naloxone (used to counter an opioid overdose) by both pharmacies and public health agencies across Ontario. Public health agencies have used this information to build strategies to improve naloxone distribution in their regions.
- By optimizing and enhancing the way we use our medications, Tadrous’ research is helping ensure the sustainability of public drug programs – both in our province and across Canada.