The BC Provincial Academic Detailing (PAD) service is a new program aimed at providing current, accurate, and objective information about new and existing drug therapies to physicians in British Columbia. Academic detailing is an education method in which a clinical pharmacist visits family practice physicians at their offices for brief one-on-one sessions to discuss drug therapy topics.

In 1993, physicians in North and West Vancouver became the first group in Canada to have an academic detailer. Now, academic detailing services are available in five Canadian provinces, as well as Australia, New Zealand, England, the Netherlands, and the United States. Fraser Health is the first BC health authority to implement PAD services. Services will be available in the other health authorities in early 2009.

PAD’s drug therapy topics are recommended by a broad-based advisory committee with representatives from the BCMA, UBC’s Continuing Professional Development and eHealth Strategy offices, the College of Family Physicians, and the College of Pharmacists. The intent is to develop two to three topics each year.

Funding for the PAD service is provided to UBC and the health au­thorities by the Ministry of Health Services, Pharmaceutical Services Division. Each health authority will have two clinical pharmacists to provide the services.

For more information, please contact Ms Erin Guiltenane at 604 660-1978.

—Terryn Naumann, BSc(Pharm), PharmD
Drug Use Optimization, MOH