SafeMedicationUse Newsletter

2025

Are You Taking Methadone? Tips to Help Stay Safe
PDF: EN | FR
2025-04-08

Going for Cataract Surgery? Tips for Managing Your Eye Drops
PDF: EN | FR
2025-03-05

Adapting and Renewing Prescriptions: What Does This Mean for You?
PDF: EN | FR
2025-02-05

The Pharmacist Will See You Now! Prescribing Medications in the Pharmacy
PDF: EN | FR
2025-01-08

2024

Not All Bugs Need Drugs: Use Antibiotics Wisely
PDF: EN | FR
2024-11-21

Cannabis Safety in Older Adults
PDF: EN | FR
2024-11-06

Cannabis Edibles: Help Prevent Poisoning in Children
PDF: EN | FR
2024-10-23

Naloxone Kits: Empowering People to Save Lives
PDF: EN | FR
2024-09-10

Getting the Most Out of a Best Possible Medication History Interview
PDF: EN | FR
2024-08-14

Safe Spaces: Feeling Comfortable to Speak Up
PDF: EN | FR
2024-07-24

The Power of Words: Improving Labels and Packages for Medication Safety - Part 3 of a 3-Part Series
PDF: EN | FR
2024-06-11

Power of Partnerships: Building a Strong Patient-Provider Relationship - Part 2 of a 3-Part Series
PDF: EN | FR
2024-05-22

Knowledge is Power: Informed Consumers Prevent Medication Errors - Part 1 of a 3-Part Series
PDF: EN | FR
2024-04-23

Out with the Old: Return Your Used or Out-of-Date Eye and Ear Drops to the Pharmacy
PDF: EN | FR
2024-03-13

Your Report Makes a Difference
PDF: EN | FR
2024-02-29

Are Your Medications Ready to Use?
PDF: EN | FR
2024-01-24

2023

Sample with Care: Prevent Errors with Medication Samples
PDF: EN | FR
2023-12-07

Medication Routines—Keeping Them Simple
PDF: EN | FR
2023-11-23

Preferred Pharmacy Networks Reduce Drug Costs—But at What Cost to You?
PDF: EN | FR
2023-11-02

Using Ozempic? What You Need to Know before a Medical Procedure or Surgery
PDF: EN | FR
2023-10-04

Ask the Right Questions: Your Best Shot at Preventing Vaccine Errors!
PDF: EN | FR
2023-09-14

Medication Changes without a New Prescription? Get It in Writing!
PDF: EN | FR
2023-08-16

Patient Advocates Have a Critical Role in Preventing Medication Errors
PDF: EN | FR
2023-07-11

"Off-Label" Medication Use: What You Need to Know
PDF: EN | FR
2023-06-14

Medications and Dehydration
PDF: EN | FR
2023-05-10

Keeping Track of Your Medications to Prevent or Treat Osteoporosis
PDF: EN | FR
2023-04-12

Methotrexate Injections and Your Medication List
PDF: EN | FR
2023-03-22

Mistakes Can Happen with Pharmacy Automatic Refill Programs
PDF: EN | FR
2023-01-12

2022

Imported Acetaminophen for Children: Getting the Right Dose
PDF: EN | FR
2022-11-25

Taking a Sleeping Pill? Know the Risks for Falls
PDF: EN | FR
2022-11-16

Is My Medication Affecting the Way My Heart Beats?
PDF: EN | FR
2022-10-19

Keep Me in the Loop: Preventing Medication Errors with Virtual Appointments
PDF: EN | FR
2022-09-14

Get Involved! Residents and Families Play an Important Role in Medication Safety
PDF: EN | FR
2022-08-17

Back to School: Catching Up on Your Child's Vaccinations
PDF: EN | FR
2022-07-27

Children's Nutritional Drinks May Have Side Effects
PDF: EN | FR
2022-06-15

Am I Protected? Drug Interactions and Your Birth Control
PDF: EN | FR
2022-05-25

Cannabis for Medical Purposes—Do You Have the Right Product?
PDF: EN | FR
2022-04-13

Tips for Parents When Medications Need to Be Compounded
PDF: EN | FR
2022-02-16

Preventing Mistakes with Your Pet's "Paw-scription"
PDF: EN | FR
2022-01-12

2021

Tips for Stopping Antidepressants Safely
PDF: EN | FR
2021-12-02

Tips for Starting Antidepressants Safely
PDF: EN | FR
2021-12-02

Taking Life-Saving Medications? Ask for a Care Plan!
PDF: EN | FR
2021-10-27

Back to School: Keeping Children with Severe Allergies Safe
PDF: EN | FR
2021-08-17

Keep a Lid on It! Child-Resistant Safety Closures Are Not Childproof
PDF: EN | FR
2021-07-22

What You Need to Know about Oxytocin to Start or Advance Labour
PDF: EN | FR
2021-06-16

Let's Talk with Kids about Their Medicines
PDF: EN | FR
2021-05-20

Vitamins May Be Needed with Some Long-Term Medications
PDF: EN | FR
2021-04-28

Allergies to Ingredients in Medication Products
PDF: EN | FR
2021-03-16

COVID-19 Vaccines: Tips for Consumers
PDF: EN | FR
2021-02-17

Managing Changes in Your Medication Blister Pack
PDF: EN | FR
2021-01-14

2020

Calcium and Medications Often Don't Mix
PDF: EN | FR
2020-11-18

Conquer Silence and Ask Questions
PDF: EN | FR
2020-10-20

Safer Choices for Pain Control after Wisdom Tooth Removal
PDF: EN | FR
2020-09-16

Hospital to Home: Know Your Medications before You Leave
PDF: EN | FR
2020-08-13

Prevent Accidental Poisoning Caused by Cleaning Products and Hand Sanitizers
PDF: EN | FR
2020-06-18

Safe Storage and Disposal of Medications during the COVID-19 Pandemic
PDF: EN | FR
2020-06-03

Managing Mild COVID-19 Symptoms at Home
PDF: EN | FR
2020-05-14

You Can Make a Difference: Help Prevent Medication Shortages
PDF: EN | FR
2020-04-28

How to Prepare for a Virtual Meeting with Your Health Care Provider
PDF: EN | FR
2020-04-15

What You Need to Know about Your Blood Thinners
PDF: EN | FR
2020-03-04

How Much Iron Is in Here?
PDF: EN | FR
2020-02-05

Who Keeps the Box? Are Your Prescriptions Properly Labelled?
PDF: EN | FR
2020-01-08

2019

When Medications Are Not Available Due to a Drug Shortage 2019-11-13
Biologics and Biosimilars: What You Need to Know 2019-10-09
Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act What It Means for You 2019-08-21
Mistaken Identity – A Recurring Problem 2019-07-24
How to Safely Transfer Your Prescriptions 2019-06-19
Sun-Sensitive Medications 2019-05-01
You Asked Us: Checking Medication Expiry Dates 2019-04-10
Consumer "Good Catches" – Part 2: Know Where to Look 2019-03-06
Consumer "Good Catches" – Part 1: Know What to Expect 2019-02-13
Natural Health Products—Improving Labels for Safety 2019-01-30

2018

Medication Reviews in Long-Term Care Homes 2018-11-14
Insulin Pens: Important Safety Information 2018-10-17
Have Unused Medications Overstayed Their Welcome? 2018-09-19
You Asked Us: "Should I Change My Pharmacy after a Mistake?" 2018-08-29
Brand Name Extension: What Does It Mean? 2018-07-18
Keep Your Medications Organized 2018-05-29
Using Your Own Medications While in Hospital 2018-04-25
Do NOT Delay Starting Certain Medications 2018-03-23
New Symptoms: Could They Be Related to Your Medications? 2018-02-22
Don't Be Embarrassed to Talk to Your Pharmacist 2018-01-17

2017

Save a Life—Get a Naloxone Kit to Treat an Opioid Overdose 2017-12-05
Keep Your Vaccinations Up to Date 2017-10-11
Talking to Your Pharmacist May Prevent Harm 2017-09-20
Do You Know Your Medication Allergies? 2017-08-16
Opioids – Be an Informed Consumer 2017-07-27
Losing Medications Can Spoil Your Vacation 2017-06-14
Know and Share Your Weight in Kilograms 2017-05-10
Suddenly Stopping a Medication Can Be Harmful 2017-03-22
Some Medications Don't Mix 2017-02-08
What to Expect if the Pharmacy Makes a Mistake 2017-01-11

2016

Know Your Medications before Leaving on a "Pass"! 2016-12-08
Be Sure You Know the Meaning of "Take as Needed" 2016-11-09
Medications Can Look Like Candy 2016-10-19
5 Questions to Ask about Your Medications 2016-09-20
Beat the Heat: How to Prevent, Recognize, and Manage Heat-Related Illnesses 2016-07-14
Misconceptions about Medicines that Could Be Deadly: Part 3 2016-06-07
Misconceptions about Medicines that Could Be Deadly: Part 2 2016-05-31
Reminder: Contact Lens Cleaning Solutions with Hydrogen Peroxide May Cause Eye Injury 2016-04-26
Is this Over-the-Counter Medicine Safe for Me? 2016-03-30
Misconceptions about Medicines That Could Be Deadly: Part 1 2016-01-18

2015

Make Sure You Are Heard by Your Healthcare Providers 2015-12-02
Incident Reported with Cold and Flu Product 2015-11-04
Tips to Prevent Medication Errors with Your Blister Pack 2015-10-21
Illegible Prescriptions Can Lead to Errors 2015-09-16
Oral Chemotherapy: Not Just an Ordinary Pill 2015-08-19
Navigating Safely Through a Sea of Health Information 2015-06-18
Caution: Not All Medicines Are Taken Every Day 2015-03-31
Beware: Medicine Names May Sound Alike, but the Medicines May Be Very Different! 2015-03-18
Same Brand Name, Different Ingredient 2015-02-12
Confusion with a Baby's Dose of Medicine 2015-01-14

2014

Reminder: Pay Attention to the Appearance of Your Medicines 2014-12-02
Know When Your Medicine Should Be Stopped! 2014-11-04
Sharing Opioid Medicines Can Be Deadly 2014-09-03
Travellers: Many Medicines Have Different Names in Foreign Countries 2014-08-18
10-Fold Dose Errors 2014-06-19
Preventing Harm from Drug-Food Interactions 2014-06-09
Alert: More Reports of Eye Injuries Involving Clear Care 2014-03-31
Epipen or Epipen Jr? Your child's weight matters. 2014-03-04
Acetaminophen – Harm from Overdose Can Be Prevented 2014-02-06

2013

Get Your Flu Shot - and Keep a Record! 2013-12-20
An Important Question - Does this new medicine replace one of my current medicines? 2013-11-28
Good Communication Can Help Prevent Harmful Mistakes with Medicines! 2013-10-29
Reminder - Check Your Prescription! 2013-09-13
Some Capsules Are Not Meant to Be Swallowed 2013-07-31
Some Medicines Should Not Be Crushed, Split, or Chewed! 2013-07-09
Many Medicines Look Alike – Always Read the Label! 2013-05-29
Does This Medicine Belong to Me? 2013-04-29
Informed Consumers Can Help Prevent Harm from Opioid Use! 2013-03-25
Alert: Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter Contains Important Information for Consumers with Allergies! 2013-01-24

2012

2011

Alert: Health Canada Endorsed Important Information on the Correct Use of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr Auto-Injector 2011-12-22
What's In a Brand Name? 2011-11-30
Alert: Health Canada Endorsed Important Safety Information on Pradax (dabigatran) and Plavix (clopidogrel) 2011-11-08
It's Important to Speak Out! 2011-10-31
Alert: Don't Take Your Medicines Twice! 2011-09-30
Preventing Errors with Children's Medicines:
Part 3 - Over-the-Counter Medicines 2011-08-31
Preventing Errors with Children's Medicines:
Part 2 - At Home and Away from Home 2011-07-27
Preventing Errors with Children's Medicines:
Part 1 - At the Doctor's Office and Pharmacy 2011-06-27
Alert: Beware of Potential Confusion between Pradax and Plavix! 2011-05-27
Alert: Markings on Oral Syringes Can Be Confusing (Be Sure to Measure Liquid Medicines Accurately) 2011-04-27
Safe Disposal of Medications 2011-03-15
Alert: Removing Medicines from Original Packaging Can Lead to Errors 2011-02-22
Alert: Similar Patient Names Leads to Pregnant Woman Getting Wrong Prescription 2011-02-15
Angeliq Drug Samples Mistakenly Provided as Birth Control 2011-01-17

2010

Epinephrine Auto-Injectors - Know How to Use EpiPen and Twinject Properly 2010-12-09
Consumer Identifies Warfarin Error as the Cause of Unexpected Test Results 2010-11-11
Minerals May Interact with Some Medicines. Don't Forget – Keep a List of Your Medicines! 2010-09-15
Alert: Look-Alike Gravol Ginger Product Causes Confusion for Consumers 2010-08-17
Mix-ups Between Spouses' Medications Could be Harmful 2010-07-15
Alert: Take Care with Clear Care® Cleaning and Disinfecting Solution for Contact Lenses 2010-06-22
Understand How to Take Your Medicines Properly! 2010-06-07
Alert: Health Canada Warns of Confusion Between Maalox Multi Action and other Maalox Products 2010-05-17
Let People Know Who You Are - Patient Identification 2010-05-13
Consumers Can Help Prevent Mistakes with Medication - Check Your Prescription! 2010-03-10
Take Care with Iron Supplements - "Too Much of a Good Thing" Can be Dangerous! 2010-03-10

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