e-Therapeutics+ improves patient outcomes by supporting optimal prescribing in primary care.

The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) is the largest publisher of drug and therapeutic information for healthcare professionals in Canada. Known for the annual publication of The Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties (CPS), CPhA launched e-Therapeutics in 2006, combining CPS content with evidence-based, therapeutic content in an online resource to support optimal prescribing in primary care.

e-Therapeutics+ helps doctors, pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners enhance patient outcomes by:
*        Supporting optimal prescribing
*        Helping prevent drug-related problems, and
*        Improving the knowledge base of therapeutic choices for chronic diseases

The drug and therapeutic databases that comprise e-Therapeutics+ can be licensed for access through our web product or can be provided as data for integration into clinical information systems.

Description of Data

The Therapeutic Database offers evidence-based information for health professionals on more than 150 conditions commonly managed with prescription drug therapy. All topics are presented in a concise style including Goals of Therapy, Investigations, Therapeutic Choices (including both drug and non-drug therapies), and Therapeutic Tips. Each therapeutic topic is written and reviewed by physician and pharmacist experts and enhanced by CPhA’s own team of clinical editor pharmacists, using the best available evidence. Our unique presentation of decision-tree algorithms and drug tables facilitate quick reference to the available therapies for each condition, key prescribing information and the relative cost for each drug.

The CPS has been a trusted reference for Canadian healthcare professionals since 1960. The electronic CPS database contains more than 2200 Health Canada-approved product monographs submitted by manufacturers as well as supplemental drug class monographs developed by CPhA’s clinical editors, to ensure comprehensiveness of coverage.

The therapeutic and drug content is stored in XML-based data sources. This content can be licensed for integration into third-party applications through the use of web services.

Currently, several provincial healthcare organizations, professional associations and other groups license CPhA’s drug and therapeutic content.

Dalhousie Libraries and the Canadian Pharmacists Association are launching a trial that will provide unlimited access to e-Therapeutics+ for students and faculty working in the College of Pharmacy building.

e-Therapeutics+ is a database that incorporates e-CPS (the online Canadian pharmacopeia, Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties) and an online version of Dr Jean Gray’s Therapeutic Choices to provide an integrated disease-oriented approach to weighing treatment options for your patients. It supports the safe and efficient use of pharmaceuticals for improved patient safety and outcomes.

e-Therapeutics+ is the 2^nd most heavily used database for Dalhousie in the health sciences . User demand has regularly outstripped our licensed availability.

This trial will provide greater access to all Dalhousie users by funneling off the very high use of our pharmacy students. It also assures those pharmacy students will have unlimited access in their building.

Please note that this trial is only for the College of Pharmacy building. All other campus and off campus access to e-Therapeutics+ will be supported by the library.

For more information on e-Therapeutics+ please see our blog entry entitled “About e-Therapeutics”

Please forward any comments or questions to:

Patrick Ellis

Health Sciences Librarian