Aims and objectives To describe general aspects of over‐the‐counter (OTC) product use and attitudes in the community. Setting One Canadian city. Method The approach was cross‐sectional and descriptive in design. Questionnaires were mailed to 2547 residents. The questionnaire covered OTC purchases and use and experience with minor illnesses. Key findings The response rate was 57.2%. Respondents reported using an average of 2.7 different products within a 6‐month period and were reasonably satisfied with them. The majority (78.9%) could not recall having a side effect with use. Label‐reading claims were high, with 4.0 package sections accessed at first purchase. The majority (86.5%) had received OTC‐related advice from pharmacists at some point in the past. The main reason for not asking was having no difficulty in selecting what they needed. Conclusion This report confirms the broad use of OTC medicines. Citizens appear to have reasonably healthy attitudes to these medicines and do seek pharmacists for assistance.

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In October 1990, a regional center for reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was established in Saskatchewan (SaskADR) as a pilot project for a revised national reporting system in Canada. SaskADR's development is described in this paper. During the first year of operation, SaskADR received 333 ADR reports, an approximately five-fold increase in the number of voluntary reports. In the four yearspreceding the pilot project, Canada's national ADR reporting program had received an average of 70 reports per year from Saskatchewan health care practitioners. The effect of regionalizing reporting was also assessed by comparing practitioners' responses to a questionnaire administered before (in 1990) and after (in 1991) SaskADR became operational; 355 pharmacists and 380 physicians responded to the questionnaire in both years. Based on questionnaire responses, the operation of SaskADR has had a positive impact, not only on the number of ADRs reported, but also on the familiarity ofpractitioners with procedures for reporting. Continuing efforts directed toward publicity and education are necessary, however, to ensure that the level of reporting remains high.

Although the higher proportion of women in faculties and schools of pharmacy is apparent to pharmacy students, we were interested in evaluating students' understanding of the implications of a largely female workforce, both for individuals entering the profession and for the profession itself. ABSTRACTBackground: Women have historically been attracted to pharmacy because it is widely perceived as a profession that offers them an opportunity to combine a professional career with a family. Women now make up the majority of practising pharmacists in Canada, yet the literature demonstrates disparities such as gender segregation and underrepresentation of women in senior positions. This study was intended to identify the attitudes and beliefs of pharmacy students about women's issues in pharmacy and raise awareness of these issues.

Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs; levonorgestrel or combination oral contraceptives) are used in unique regimens soon after failed contraception or unprotected intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Prompt access to these products is important, as efficacy diminishes with time since intercourse. The availability of EC from pharmacists (either as prescribed Schedule F products or via a rescheduling to Schedule II pharmacist-supervised sale) would greatly increase access. In Saskatchewan, pharmacists have received independent prescribing authority for ECPs. This article describes the process for assessing competency to prescribe EC in that province. A faculty of pharmacy developed a workshop to educate pharmacists about emergency contraceptive products, their mechanism of action, the necessary assessment and documentation processes, ethical issues related to emergency contraception, and counselling techniques. It also offered participants an opportunity to explore a variety of clinical cases in small groups. Participants completed a test before and after the training and were required to attain a score of 80% or greater on the latter test to become certified to prescribe. The average scores on the pre- and post-training tests were 14.4/25 (57.6%) and 22.1/26 (85.0%), respectively (p < 0.05). Over a series of three workshops, 17.2% of Saskatchewan's 1182 pharmacists became certified to prescribe ECPs. The workshop was offered again in June and September 2003, in anticipation of the September 1, 2003, legislative changes.