Therapeutics Initiative

Therapeutics Initiative Prescription drug therapy is a key element of medical care.

The UBC Therapeutics Initiative’s goal is for drug therapies to be used wisely in the best interests of patients, based on thorough & accurate understanding of scientific evidence. 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 and pharmacists with up-to-date, evidence-based, practical information on prescription drug therapy. 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.

🚨ICYMI: CLINICAL PEARLS 👩‍🏫👉 3 Pearls for   from the TI's Dr. Jessica Otte
03/27/2026

🚨ICYMI: CLINICAL PEARLS 👩‍🏫

👉 3 Pearls for from the TI's Dr. Jessica Otte

UBC TI   Webinar Appropriate HbA1c testing frequency to monitor patients with  ⏰ Weds 8 April @ Noon PDTSpeaker: The TI'...
03/25/2026

UBC TI Webinar

Appropriate HbA1c testing frequency to monitor patients with

⏰ Weds 8 April @ Noon PDT
Speaker: The TI's Dr. Wade Thompson

✅ Practical tips on optimal frequency of A1c testing

BC family physicians + NPs:

Learn to optimize ordering of these tests by using your personal TI Prescribing Portrait on this topic to reflect on how your prescribing of these meds compares with latest evidence-based recommendations

REGISTER: https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2026/03/24/appropriate-hba1c-testing-frequency/

🆕 UBC TI Best Evidence Webinar 🆕Dr. David Juurlink: Treating   is harder than it looks 🤕⏰ Weds 22 April @ 11:45 PDT✅ Why...
03/25/2026

🆕 UBC TI Best Evidence Webinar 🆕

Dr. David Juurlink: Treating is harder than it looks 🤕
⏰ Weds 22 April @ 11:45 PDT

✅ Why the goal of treating pain is not simply pain relief
✅ The many hidden harms of analgesics
✅ Myths about common

REGISTER: https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2026/03/24/treating-pain-is-harder-than-it-looks/



BC Family Doctors Rural Resident Doctors BC - Resources Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia RxISK.org (Data Based Medicine) Vancouver Coastal Health Island Health

ICYMI: TI   webinar recordinghttps://youtu.be/vXhWbRXvGpMDr. Davie Wong: Antimicrobial durations in practice - a product...
03/25/2026

ICYMI: TI webinar recording
https://youtu.be/vXhWbRXvGpM

Dr. Davie Wong: Antimicrobial durations in practice - a product of magical thinking in medicine

✅ How we choose durations
✅ Recognize limitations of how we select durations
✅ Determining optimal duration

BC Family Doctors Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC Rural Resident Doctors BC - Resources RxISK.org (Data Based Medicine)

TI Best Evidence Webinar: Antimicrobial durations in practice - a product of magical thinking in medicine. Presented by Dr. Davie Wong on 31 October 2025.

💊 ICYMI - How well do you know your dopamine antagonists?TI Letter https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2022/11/29/139-how-well-do-you-...
03/24/2026

💊 ICYMI - How well do you know your dopamine antagonists?

TI Letter https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2022/11/29/139-how-well-do-you-know-your-dopamine-antagonists/
Patient videos https://youtu.be/nrM8Az7RHKU

⚠️ Patients briefly explain why prescribers, pharmacists, pts, carers need to recognize early occurrence of adverse effects

Video 1 of 7: Drug-induced Parkinsonism from quetiapine. This 85 year old woman was hospitalized briefly for suspected overuse of alcohol or withdrawal, whil...

(New publication) Student pharmacists & the pharmaceutical industryCanadian Student Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Pharmace...
03/18/2026

(New publication) Student pharmacists & the pharmaceutical industry

Canadian Student Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Pharmaceutical Industry Interactions
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002945926008284

"Canadian student pharmacists report frequent interactions with the pharmaceutical industry and limited awareness of associated impacts on future professional behavior. These findings highlight the need for more robust, curriculum-based education on COI and industry influence to promote critical reflection and professional integrity."

🆕 UBC TI publication:Nearly 30% of older adults with type 2   in BC may be over-treated, despite already having A1C ≤7% ...
03/13/2026

🆕 UBC TI publication:

Nearly 30% of older adults with type 2 in BC may be over-treated, despite already having A1C ≤7% 😮 ⚠️
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/16/3/e106707



Rural Resident Doctors BC - Resources Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC Vancouver Coastal Health BC Family Doctors

🆕 UBC TI  :Comparative Analysis of the Efficacy & Safety of Various Single Enantiomer & Racemic Mixture Pairs👉 https://w...
03/11/2026

🆕 UBC TI :

Comparative Analysis of the Efficacy & Safety of Various Single Enantiomer & Racemic Mixture Pairs

👉 https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2025/11/13/comparative-analysis-of-the-efficacy-and-safety-of-various-single-enantiomer-and-racemic-mixture-pairs/

"Preferential prescribing of dexlansoprazole, escitalopram, and esomeprazole in BC is not supported by robust head-to-head evidence demonstrating clinically meaningful superiority.

Observed differences are modest, fragile, and methodologically limited, while cost differentials are substantial. Current utilization trends do not consistently align with the best available evidence and represent an opportunity for more cost-effective, evidence-based prescribing."

13 Nov 2025 Comparative Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Various Single Enantiomer and Racemic Mixture Pairs Download Share Posted at 08:01h in Drug Assessments by Ciprian Jauca 0 Comments Share This is a systematic review conducted by the Drug Assessment Working Group of the Therapeutics Init...

ICYMI: TI   webinar recording! 🚨  and other disability diagnoses: the seven sins of clinicians https://www.youtube.com/w...
03/10/2026

ICYMI: TI webinar recording! 🚨

and other disability diagnoses: the seven sins of clinicians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0OfoVcaCjk

Speaker: Dr. Allyson Harrison

ADHD and other disability diagnoses: the seven sins of clinicians. Presented by Dr. Allyson Harrison on 14 January 2026

🔔 ICYMI - TI   webinar recording: 💊⚠️ S*x and Post-SSRI Evidence-based Medicine Dysfunction with Dr. David Healy of RxIS...
03/03/2026

🔔 ICYMI - TI webinar recording:

💊⚠️ S*x and Post-SSRI Evidence-based Medicine Dysfunction with Dr. David Healy of RxISK.org (Data Based Medicine)

👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91NveUXiAvA

TI Best Evidence Webinar: S*x and post-SSRI evidence-based medicine dysfunction. Presented by Dr. David Healy on 10 February 2021.

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