Physicians, pharmacists and patients require an independent source of therapeutics information. For this reason, the Therapeutics Initiative was established in the University and made independent from the government and any other vested interest groups. To fulfill its mandate the Therapeutics Initiative has established four working groups: the Drug Assessment Working Group, the Education Working Group, the Pharmacoepidemiology Working Group, and the Therapeutics Letter Working Group.

Drug Assesment Working Group (DAWG)

The Drug Assessment Working Group (DAWG) is committed to analyze scientific evidence on the effectiveness and safety of drug therapies used in Canada. They systematically review and, when appropriate, critically appraise research relevant to new and existing drugs. Often the goal is to discover whether a new drug provides a therapeutic advantage over existing similar drug therapy for a clinical condition. The Therapeutics Initiative has a dedicated team of researchers that is committed to the highest standards of research.

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Education Working Group

One of the main goals of the Therapeutics Initiative is to provide physicians and pharmacists with up to date, evidence-based, practical information in the area of rational drug therapy. To that end, the members of the Education Working Group have had extensive experience, both locally and internationally, talking to health professionals and consumers about the rational use of medication. They have presented hundreds of seminars on drug therapy. In addition, they have written numerous articles in the medical literature on the area of rational drug therapy and have been editors for two internationally recognised textbooks on appropriate/rational drug therapy.

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PharmacoEpidemiology Group (PEG)

Appropriate use of drugs is a central aspect of health care. The research program at the PharmacoEpidemiology Group (PEG) provides a setting for a wide range of activities related to the use and outcomes of prescription drugs. PEG uses epidemiological methods to analyze linked administrative data in British Columbia from PharmaNet, Medical Service Plan, and hospitals to answer important questions unaddressed in clinical trials. Our work includes evaluation of policies and educational interventions, monitoring of drug utilization, innovations in research methodology, and analysis of prescription drug safety and effectiveness. Investigative Reports | Publications

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Therapeutics Letter Working Group

Therapeutics Letters on common therapies have been regularly published and sent to physicians and pharmacists in our province for the last 14 years to increase awareness and improve prescription habits. The Letters are published bi-monthly and aim to identify problematic therapeutic issues in a brief, simple and practical manner. The process leading up to publication involves a literature review by different Working Groups of the Therapeutics Initiative, creation of a draft which is circulated for peer review among a sizable group of local, national and international specialists with expertize in the particular therapeutic area and the commission of original artwork/illustration.

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