Madely Health Headlines Commentary for June 21, 2012

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This morning seven of Canada’s leading health care organizations have launched a free new app for IPhones and IPads for Canadian patients called MyMedRec.

 

The purpose of the new tool is to help Canadians use their medications safely and appropriately and is aimed at empowering the growing number of smart phone owners who use mobile devices to manage a wide range of personal data, including their health information.

 

• The World Health Organization has established safe medication use as a priority given that 50 per cent of patients do not take their medications correctly.
• Studies have shown that responsible and appropriate use of medicines leads to better health outcomes and health care costs like hospitalization are greatly reduced.
• The Canadian Adverse Events Study (2004) found that 24% of preventable adverse effects were related to medication error.
• In 2010, StatsCan found that over 50% of Cdns 65+ used multiple medications – some as many as 15 per day.

 

The app and other new tools being launched are the latest innovation in the Knowledge is the Best Medicine program (KiBM) which helps Canadians better manage their own health care. Since 1994, more than 6 million copies of the “Knowledge is the best medicine” (KiBM) brochure and record book have been distributed to Canadians in collaboration with governments, hospitals, public health agencies, patient groups and health care providers.

 

The partners supporting the development of the iPhone and iPad app include Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, the Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, The Victorian Order of Nurses, the Best Medicines Coalition and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada.