Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Research

We have four overarching research themes within the Section under which all CPT-related research activity is welcomed and supported:

a. Precision Medicine

Precision medicine takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.
Pharmacogenomics is the study of how genes affect a patient’s response to drugs. Pharmacogenomic testing seeks to identify patients who are at risk for clinical significant differences in their genome that can result in altered pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, or immune responses to a medication.
Specific research areas: Pharmacogenomics

b. Care of the CPT Patient

Our unique relationship with PADIS allows for collaborations on the diagnosis and management of acute and chronic poisonings.
PADIS receives over 50,000 calls a year from residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, and well over 1 million calls since its inception in 1986.
The patient data from telephone calls and bedside consultations at both Canadian and US Poison Centres serves as a rich opportunity for research into the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of the poisoned patient.
Specific research areas: Acetaminophen, Toxic alcohols, Drugs of abuse, Antidepressants, Poison Centre Costs

c. Medication Safety and Adverse Drug Events

In Canada, adverse drug events to outpatient medications cause over two million emergency department visits, 700,000 admissions, and $1 billion in healthcare costs annually.
Specific research areas: Recognition, reporting and prevention of adverse drug events

d. Quality Improvement

Quality Improvement (QI) is a science that is built upon testing small changes and quickly learning from the results observed.
Changes in normal operations, either as a deliberate experiment or externally imposed, have the ability to teach us about our systems, our teams and ourselves.
Specific areas: Utilization and cost of antidotes, Adherence to Poison Centre guidelines, Choosing Wisely