BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinar Series #5

08 Nov 2023 BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinar Series #5

This live webinar has already taken place. Scroll down to view the video recording.

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When challenged by complex cases involving people taking too many medications, we may ask:

• Can I stop any of these?
• Which should I stop first?
• Do I need to taper this drug? If so, how?
• What should I monitor for after stopping, and when?

Many clinicians address these clinical questions successfully, improving outcomes for patients.  Sometimes, things don’t work out as we hope.  At the Therapeutics Initiative, we want to create a platform for healthcare providers, patients, caregivers, advocates and policy makers to learn from each other about successes and challenges in deprescribing.  Learning together, we hope to build confidence and knowledge about deprescribing in BC and beyond. This was the fifth session, which took place on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

Links to the previous sessions in the Deprescribing Webinar series (links include the slide decks and video recording for each session):

• February 8, 2023: BC Provincial Deprescribing Series Webinar #1
• April 19, 2023: BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinar Series #2 
• June 14, 2023: BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinar Series #3
• September 20, 2023: BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinar Series #4

DATE: Wednesday, November 8, 2023

TIME: 12:00 – 13:00 Pacific Standard Time convert to your local time

WHERE: This is a free virtual event.

CME CREDITS: MainPro+/MOC Section 1 credits: 1.0. Those who registered, attended the webinar and completed the evaluation will receive their certificate.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to

1. Recognize when a medication list is not appropriate for a patient’s long-term health
2. Begin to develop a plan to simplify by deprescribing potentially harmful or redundant drugs.
3. Identify helpful collaborators (pharmacists, specialists, or other colleagues) who can assist with successful deprescribing

Case 1: How do occupational therapists foster constructive deprescribing in people with developmental or acquired brain injuries?

Presented by: Beverley Wasmund MSc, OT & Janice Duivestein BSR OT/PT, MRS

Beverley Wasmund is an occupational therapist with Access Community Therapists Dysphagia Consultation Services, where she and Janice work with people who have congenital or acquired brain-based disabilities.  Having seen the impact of adverse drug effects on the eating, drinking and swallowing abilities of her clients, Beverley volunteered to present a case to the Deprescribing Webinar series. She is a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia, teaching Occupational Therapy Assessment and Intervention with Autism Spectrum Disorders since 2015.

Janice Duivestein is a combined trained therapist (Occupational and Physical Therapist) who has worked with children and adults with eating, drinking and swallowing challenges for over 30 years.  She works with Bev at Access Community Therapists, providing dysphagia consultation services around BC.  Janice shares Bev’s interest and concern about the side effect of medications often seen in our client population. As Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of BC, she teaches a module about dysphagia.

Case 2: Listen to patients and families about drugs used for severe chronic pain

Presented by: Ross Soros and Kelly Soros RN, MD, MHSc

Ross Soros worked as a Water Operator for the District of Maple Ridge, BC before retirement. Now he spends most of his time training his dog Tink, and with his daughter Kelly. They enjoy fishing, crabbing and spending time with family and friends. Having lived with chronic pain from an autosomal dominant peripheral and autonomic neuropathy, Ross has experience advocating for high quality patient centered care. He has taught medical students the importance of listening to their patients.

Dr. Kelly Soros came into medicine from a nursing background. She completed family medicine training at the Vancouver Indigenous Site, and recently graduated from the UBC Emergency Medicine program for family physicians. Kelly now works in the St. Paul’s Hospital Emergency Department, and part time in rural family medicine and intensive care. She sees her main role as being a strong advocate for her father, and a good daughter. Kelly is grateful for all she has learned through her father’s health journey, that directly informs her conduct as a physician.

The BC Provincial Deprescribing Webinars are coordinated by:

Tom Perry MD, FRCPC
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of AP&T, UBC
Co-Chair, Education Working Group, UBC Therapeutics Initiative
tom.perry@ubc.ca

Wade Thompson PharmD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of AP&T, UBC
Organizer, International Deprescribing Conference
Education Working Group, UBC Therapeutics Initiative
wade.thompson@ubc.ca

INVITATION TO SUBMIT & PRESENT A CASE AT FUTURE WEBINARS!

Please let colleagues or friends know about this new webinar series.

• We host a 1-hour case-based webinar every 2 months (except August).  The initial schedule is Wednesdays at 12:00-13:00 h Pacific Time, but we may vary this in future, depending on demand.
• Deprescribing Webinars are open to pharmacists, doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, health profession students, patients & care providers, and others in health care who are interested in how to address undesirable polypharmacy effectively through responsible deprescribing.
• The Webinars are case-based.  We invite case submissions from any health profession (including students, and potentially from patients/caregivers who wish to share their experiences).  As in any health care setting, we expect our audience to respect the confidentiality of information presented with informed patient consent.

Who should submit?

• Nursing, psych nursing, NP, medical, and pharmacy students or residents;
• Recently qualified practitioners working in hospital, community, or long-term care who identify a deprescribing problem or success they think will interest others;
• Senior clinicians in any health care field who want to share their acumen and experience with deprescribing clinical logic, pharmacokinetics, avoiding withdrawal, teaching others how to deprescribe successfully, use of electronic aides or AI;
• Patients or families who think their story may enlighten health professionals.

What will you need to submit a case?

• Patient consent to present anonymized relevant history, physical findings, drug list;
• Consent of your supervisor if relevant (e.g. students/residents);
• Obtain key details including all medications and doses, relevant vital signs (e.g.supine & standing BP and HR, RR and SaO2) while you have authorized access to patient record.

If interested, please contact Dr. Perry or Dr. Thompson at the emails above.  We will work with submitters to develop succinct, effective presentations that allow time for audience discussion in Zoom Chat, Q&A, and through our moderators.  If you wish to propose a case, don’t be shy! DO respect patient privacy – don’t disclose any information that could identify an individual.  Dr. Perry can discuss possible case presentations by telephone, if you email him.