Please be advised the SaferMedsNL public awareness campaign and research study concluded in December 2021. Data analysis is ongoing through 2022-2023, however, this website and the resources will no longer be updated and maintained effective December 30, 2022. The study team would like to thank everyone involved in the initiative. All questions about a medical matter should be directed to a healthcare professional. If you think you may be suffering from a medical condition, please seek medical attention.

Resources

 

SaferMedsNL has compiled a variety of resources freely available for download. On this page are the following categories. Click the category to jump to that section.

Sleep Resources

Reflux Resources

General Resources

Promotional Resources

Healthcare Provider Resources

 

 

Sleep Resources

 
 

You May Be at Risk

Find out more about the benefits or harms of sleeping pills. Take this brochure to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to talk about how to safely stop sleeping pills.

English Français

 

How to get a good night’s sleep without medication

Not sure if you need to take a sleeping pill to help you sleep? Follow the 6 steps in this brochure to get better sleep without taking medication.

English Français

 

How to taper-off sleeping pills

Take this brochure to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist and create a tapering-off plan that is right for you.

English Français

 
 

 

 

Reflux Resources

 
 

Do I still need this medication?

Find out more about the benefits or harms of reflux medications. Take this brochure to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist to talk about how to safely stop Proton Pump Inhibitor medications.

English Français

 

 

 

 

General Resources

 
 

5 questions to ask about your medications

English Français

 

Medication record

Take this record with you to your medical appointments and remember to update it when any of your medications are changed.

English Français

 
 
 

Article: Hips don’t lie: what you should know about medications and falls

English Français

 

Article: Why are you taking a PPI?

English Français

 

 

Promotional Resources

 
 

Wake Up!

Poster

 

Some things just aren’t meant to be long term.

Poster

Postcard

Video

 
 
 

If it won’t be missed, strike it from the list!

Postcard

 

COVID-19 Safe Medication Use

Video

 

 

 

Additional Resources for Health Care Professionals

Deprescribing Algorithms from Bruyère

 
 

Algorithm: Benzodiazepine & Z-Drug (BZRA) deprescribing

For more Bruyère deprescribing algorithms and resources algorithms click here.

English Français

 

Algorithm: Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) deprescribing

For more Bruyère deprescribing algorithms and resources algorithms click here.

English Français

Evidence based pharmaceutical opinions

 
 

Sedatives for Insomnia: Pharmaceutical Opinion

This fillable form is designed to help communication between pharmacists and prescribers.

 

Proton Pump Inhibitor: Pharmaceutical Opinion

This fillable form is designed to help communication between pharmacists and prescribers.

Whiteboard Videos

 

Check out these fun, short and informative whiteboard videos on deprescribing. The first video provides an overview of deprescribing, while the others focus on deprescribing sedatives and proton pump inhibitors. 

English Français

Working Together to Improve Patient Care, One Medication at a time.

This interprofessional session hosted by SaferMedsNL and Quality of Care NL promotes the appropriate use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and sedative-hypnotics for insomnia. The focus is on the evidence behind deprescribing these medications, the tools and resources available to support healthcare providers, potentially safer more effective alternatives, as well as presenting some of the ongoing work supported by available data, to reduce the use of these medications in our province.

 

These resources were designed for doctors, pharmacists and nurses to foster communication and collaboration towards safe medication use, specifically for sedative medications and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). You can download and print patient educational brochures, deprescribing algorithms for sedatives and PPIs, evidence based pharmaceutical opinions, promotional posters and check out the helpful links too.

Order free patient educational brochures and promotional materials here. Delivery of brochures is on hold due to COVID-19, please contact us for more information.

Factsheets on Deprescribing

Deprescribing fact sheet for health care professionals

English Français

Deprescribing PPIs: Frequently asked questions

English

Can pharmacists drive deprescribing?

English

Additional links

 

Medication Therapy Services Clinic

The MTS Clinic is a “pharmacist-clinic” run by the School of Pharmacy at Memorial University. They work with patients, their doctors/nurse practitioners and community pharmacists to support optimal medication use and health outcomes.

MedStopper

Medstopper is a deprescribing web-based tool developed by a team of health professionals to help doctors and their patients look at a list of medications to decide if some should be stopped or changed.

Beers Criteria

The 2015 Beers List of potentially inappropriate medications for older adults is one of the most frequently cited reference tools in the field of geriatrics. There is also a printable Beers Criteria pocket guide.

 

STOPP/START Criteria

The STOPP/START Criteria helps clinicians screen older people's prescriptions and right treatment criteria.

Choosing Wisely Canada toolkits

Drowsy without feeling lousy
Bye-Bye PPI

The Lowdown on Stomach Acid

Memorial University podcast on proton-pump inhibitors with Dr Justin Turner