How RCA and FMEA Help Pharmacies Strengthen Safety Systems Medication safety in pharmacy practice is not only about preventing errors. It is also about learning from what happens and proactively strengthening systems before problems occur. Across Canada, pharmacy Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs encourage pharmacies to analyze risks and improve systems. In British Columbia, the […]
Why Inactivating Discontinued Medications Prevents Practice Incidents in Community Pharmacy In every Canadian community pharmacy, patient profiles are the backbone of safe medication management. Yet one small oversight continues to contribute to preventable practice incidents: failing to inactivate discontinued medications in the pharmacy software system. Across Canada, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs such as Alberta’s […]
Terms to Avoid When Documenting a Practice Incident in Pharmacy How a practice incident is documented matters just as much as what is documented. Across Canada, Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) programs, such as CQI+ in Alberta, CIRCL in British Columbia, AIMS in Ontario, and similar frameworks in other provinces, emphasize learning, system improvement, and patient […]
How Close Call Reporting in Pharmacies Helps Protect Patients’ Hearts February is recognized across Canada as Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about cardiovascular health, prevention, and safe medication use. While conversations often focus on lifestyle changes and adherence, one critical aspect of heart health is sometimes overlooked: medication safety. For patients living with […]
How Inconsistent Dose Expressions Can Lead to Medication Incidents Medication incidents are often associated with wrong drugs or wrong patients, but in many cases, risk arises from something far less obvious: how a dose is written or displayed. Differences in units of measure, such as micrograms versus milligrams, can create confusion across prescribing systems, pharmacy […]
A Practical Guide for Alberta Pharmacies Preparing for ACP’s CQI+ Program February 1 marks a major milestone for Alberta community pharmacies. The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) is implementing the Continuous Quality Improvement Plus (CQI+) program, setting clear expectations for how pharmacies identify, analyze, and learn from medication incidents and close calls. For many pharmacies, […]
