Canada PCOC key terms

The specific disease, symptom, or condition for which a medication is approved or clinically justified in a given patient, forming the starting point for any prescription decision.

A situation, condition, or concurrent therapy in which a drug must not be used because the risk of harm clearly outweighs any expected benefit.

A condition or patient factor that warrants caution, monitoring, or dose adjustment rather than outright avoidance of a drug.

Prescribing a medication for an indication, dose, route, or population not covered by its approved product monograph, supported by evidence and professional judgment.

Measuring blood concentrations of drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges to individualize dosing and avoid toxicity or treatment failure.

A property of drugs whose effective and toxic blood concentrations are close together, so small dose changes or interactions can cause harm.

How the body handles a drug over time, described through absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, which together determine concentration at the site of action.

What a drug does to the body, including receptor binding, mechanism of action, and the relationship between concentration and therapeutic or toxic effect.

The fraction of an administered dose that reaches systemic circulation unchanged, which is 100 percent by definition for the intravenous route.

Breakdown of an orally absorbed drug by intestinal and liver enzymes before it reaches systemic circulation, reducing bioavailability and sometimes requiring higher oral doses.

The time required for the plasma concentration of a drug to fall by half, guiding dosing intervals and the time needed to reach steady state.

The condition in which drug intake and elimination balance so plasma concentrations remain stable, typically reached after about four to five half-lives of regular dosing.

An initial larger dose given to reach therapeutic concentrations quickly rather than waiting several half-lives for accumulation.

A theoretical volume relating the amount of drug in the body to its plasma concentration, useful for estimating loading doses and interpreting drug removal.

The volume of plasma from which a drug is completely removed per unit time, determining the maintenance dose needed to sustain a target concentration.

Removal of drug by liver metabolism and biliary excretion, which declines with liver disease and can be altered by enzyme inducers or inhibitors.

A family of liver enzymes responsible for metabolizing many drugs, whose activity can be increased or suppressed by other substances and genetic variation.

Reduction of metabolic enzyme activity by a co-administered drug, raising concentrations of substrates and increasing the risk of toxicity.

Increased synthesis or activity of metabolic enzymes caused by a drug or substance, lowering concentrations of substrate drugs and potentially causing treatment failure.

An alteration in a drug's effect caused by another drug, food, supplement, or disease state, which may increase toxicity or reduce efficacy.

A harmful and unintended response to a medication at doses normally used for prevention, diagnosis, or treatment, including predictable and unpredictable reactions.

The professional obligation to report suspected serious or unexpected reactions to Health Canada and the manufacturer so that product safety information can be updated.

The Canadian regulatory document summarizing a drug's indications, dosing, contraindications, warnings, and pharmacology, approved as part of the market authorization.

Health Canada's authorization permitting a manufacturer to market a drug product in Canada after review of safety, efficacy, and quality evidence.

A Health Canada pathway allowing practitioners to request access to drugs not marketed in Canada for patients with serious or life-threatening conditions when conventional options fail.

A regulated change a pharmacist makes to an existing prescription, such as dose or form, under provincial authority and with appropriate documentation.

The legal scope under provincial regulation permitting pharmacists to initiate or adjust drug therapy in defined circumstances, varying across Canadian jurisdictions.

The range of activities a regulated health professional is legally authorized and competent to perform, set by provincial legislation and regulatory college standards.

Expectations set by a pharmacy regulatory college describing the minimum acceptable conduct, documentation, and quality of care pharmacists must meet.

A patient's voluntary agreement to treatment after receiving and understanding relevant information about benefits, risks, alternatives, and consequences of refusal.

A patient's ability to understand information relevant to a treatment decision and appreciate the reasonably foreseeable consequences of choosing or refusing it.

Federal and provincial laws governing collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information, including consent requirements and patient access rights.

A structured process of comparing a patient's current medications with newly prescribed or documented ones to identify and resolve discrepancies at care transitions.

A comprehensive medication list obtained through multiple sources, including patient interview and pharmacy records, used as the reference for reconciliation decisions.

The extent to which a patient takes medications as agreed with the prescriber, influenced by beliefs, cost, side effects, regimen complexity, and access.

A structured, interactive discussion helping a patient understand their therapy, use it correctly, and recognize when to seek further advice.

A communication technique in which the patient explains the plan in their own words, allowing the pharmacist to confirm understanding and correct misunderstandings.

A person's ability to obtain, understand, and apply health information to make decisions, which shapes how counselling should be pitched and delivered.

Working respectfully with physicians, nurses, and other team members, sharing information and coordinating care to achieve shared patient goals.

A written arrangement between a pharmacist and prescriber defining delegated responsibilities such as dose adjustment or monitoring, with agreed communication and documentation.