“These strategies can help hospitals minimize the impact on critically ill patients in case of ICU drug shortages ” said Dr. Salmaan Kanji,As COVID-19 continues to disrupt global drug supplies, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are playing a key role in developing and implementing mitigation strategies for intensive care units (ICUs). Dr. Salmaan Kanji led the development of guidelines on this topic, published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia on behalf of the Ontario COVID-19 ICU Drug Task Force.
The guidelines recommend conservation strategies and alternatives for drugs, such as sedatives, paralytics and opioids, which are often used for COVID-19 patients in the ICU. The Task Force notes that nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and administrators should work together to ensure strategies to address drug shortages at their institution are feasible, safe, and practical.
While these recommendations were developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they could be applied to any global health crisis that puts pressure on ICU services. The Ottawa Hospital has already implemented many of the recommended conservation strategies.
“These strategies can help hospitals minimize the impact on critically ill patients in case of ICU drug shortages ” said Dr. Kanji, associate scientist and critical care clinical pharmacy specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa
Authors: Salmaan Kanji, Lisa Burry, David Williamson, Michelle Pittman, Samuel Dubinsky, Deep Patel, Sabrina Natarajan, Robert MacLean, Jin-Hyeun Huh, Damon C. Scales, David Neilipovitz, Kirsten Wentlandt, Ally Dhalla, Christine Donaldson, Vivian Leong, Angie Wong, Patrick Dicerni, Ivan Yuen, Claude Soulodre, Terri Donovan
Funding: No funding was obtained for this project.
The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
Media Contact
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca
