CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY FAQ

  • What is Clinical Pharmacology?

    Clinical Pharmacology is a physician-based medical subspecialty that focuses on the application of pharmacological principles and methods in the real world. It is based on in-depth knowledge of human pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenomics, and toxicology.  

  • Who can use this service?

    Physicians and nurse practitioners can use this service to access non-urgent call advice. The goals of this service include the following: 

    • Diagnosis and management of medication-related adverse drug events 

    • Decreasing adverse drug events in and out of hospital 

    • Decreasing the use of unnecessary medications 

    • Decreasing hospital and out of hospital drug costs through rational use of medications 

    • Education on safe and rational medication use 

  • What issues can the Clinical Pharmacology physician on call help with?

    Specialist Link users can contact Clinical Pharmacology with questions about patients with any of the following issues: 

    • Suspected adverse drug events of any kind (e.g., cutaneous adverse reaction, new prolonged QTc on ECG, drug induced liver or renal injury, abnormal laboratory results secondary to drugs) 

    • Unusual or unpredicted responses to therapeutic use of medications (unexplained inefficacy or toxic effects) 

    • New or unusual drug interactions 

    • Supra or subtherapeutic drug concentrations 

    • Deprescribing (advice on reducing or stopping medications)  

    • Polypharmacy / overprescribing questions 

    • Management of drug discontinuation syndromes (e.g., SSRI discontinuation syndrome) 

    • Interpretation of pharmacogenomic testing 

  • How do I contact the Clinical Pharmacology physician for non-urgent advice?

    Clinical pharmacology is listed under Medicine on the Specialist Link website (or via the phone tree). The service is available from 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding stat holidays). There are two easy ways to request tele-advice: 

    1. Visit www.specialistlink.ca, select the desired specialty from the main menu, enter your information (including a direct call-back number) and wait for your call to be returned 

    2. Call 403.910.2551 or toll-free at 1.844.962.5465 (LINK). Please reference the tele-advice call tree. 

  • When would I contact the Clinical Pharmacology physician non-urgently instead of a local or PCN pharmacist?

    • Drug interaction checks  

    • Questions about common adverse drug reactions  

    • Safe drug dosing in renal or hepatic dysfunction  

    • Medication reconciliation completion or questions  

    • Common therapeutic drug monitoring questions (e.g. vancomycin, gentamicin, digoxin)  

  • Are there other options for accessing specialty advice?

    As an alternative to clinical pharmacology tele-advice, providers in the Calgary Zone can submit an eReferral eConsult request for clinical pharmacology and will receive a response back from a specialist within five calendar days. To submit an eReferral eConsult request: 

    • Go online and open patient you want to consult on 

    • Select Create Referral on top banner, choose polypharmacy/overprescribing as your referral reason and eConsult as request type 

    • Search for options, select Clinical Pharmacology Physician Group- Provincial.  

  • When would I consult PADIS?

    The Poison and Drug Information Service (PADIS) Medical Toxicology consultation service sees acutely poisoned patients throughout the city. Please continue to refer all questions and consultations about such patients to PADIS at 1-800-332-1414.