Who We Are
The Therapeutics Initiative (TI) was established in 1994 by the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in cooperation with the Department of Family Practice at The University of British Columbia with its mission to provide physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, allied health professionals & the public with up-to-date, independent, evidence-based, practical information on healthcare interventions.
To reduce bias as much as possible the TI is an independent organization, separate from government, pharmaceutical industry and other vested interest groups. We strongly believe in the need for independent assessments of evidence on drug therapy to balance the drug industry sponsored information sources.
Our organization consists of two Co-Managing Directors (Dr. Ken Bassett and Dr. Colin Dormuth), an Oversight Committee, a Scientific Information and Education Committee, the Steering Committee and Working Groups. Learn more about our organization.
What We Do
Over the years the TI has substantially enhanced its ability to assess the clinical evidence presented in published articles, meta-analyses by the Cochrane Collaboration and scientific material presented by the pharmaceutical industry.
In pace with the extensive assessment of clinical evidence, the TI has developed effective ways of knowledge translation and dissemination of this evidence to all active players involved in drug therapy: physicians, pharmacists, nurse practitioners and policy-makers (Ministry of Health) and is committed to analyzing its own impact.
Our motto is “Better prescribing. Better health.” and our members strive to contribute to better health outcomes in British Columbia and around the world.
See our Research & Publications.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Equity and diversity are essential to the Therapeutics Initiative mission and academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. The TI encourages participation from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the British Columbia Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
How We Are Funded
Funds for the Therapeutics Initiative are provided by the Ministry of Health of British Columbia through a contributory agreement with the University of British Columbia. Our website does not host any form of advertisement. We also accept donations. For more information on donor requirements, please see our Donate page.
Conflict of Interest
The Therapeutics Initiative has strict conflict of interest guidelines to ensure we meet the highest ethical standards and maintain our integrity. Transparent disclosure is essential to achieving these objectives. Participants in all aspects of our work ensure that they remain free from conflicts of interest. If a potential conflict arises, we strive to identify and resolve it. We welcome scientific or other comments to our website, but expect commentators who wish their remarks to be posted to meet the same standards by completing and submitting a standard disclosure of potential conflicts of interest form.