As part of their work on the Residential Care Initiative, South Okanagan Similkameen Division doctors began undertaking meaningful medication reviews in local facilities. The resulting changes to patients’ prescriptions caused an increase in the number of medications being returned to pharmacies for disposal—an issue physicians soon realized could be solved by a simple policy change impacting how medications are ordered during the prescribing process.

Dr Baldev Sanghera and Dr Evan Adams were both recognized for outstanding service by receiving King Charles III’s Coronation Medal.

Primary care nurse practitioners in BC are eligible for compensation for time spent attending primary care meetings and activities hosted by divisions of family practice. The funding comes from the Nurse and Nurse Practitioners of BC’s (NNPBC) NP Provincial Initiatives Program (NP-PIP) and there are two funding streams:

A member of the East Kootenay Division of Family Practice, Dr Greg Andreas is a family doctor who practices in Cranbrook. His journey through medicine is a story of compassion, growth, and a deep-seated commitment to understanding what truly matters to his patients.

FPSC is accepting applications for medical office staff to take the Panel Management for Family Practice program through the University of Fraser Valley.

The program consists of five modules with a final quality improvement project implemented in-practice. It offers practical, skills-based training designed to meet the competencies of a panel manager, including basics of the patient medical home and primary care network, empanelment, registry-based care, and proactive and preventative care.

FPSC has announced important updates about supports for inpatient care. These updates are a follow-up to the information communicated in the June 7 FPSC Special Update.

• Read more: Update on FPSC Transition Funding and On-Call/ Availability Funding for Inpatient Care.

New supports for integrating a nurse into practice are available on the FPSC website. Developed in collaboration with partners including the Ministry of Health, Nurses and Nurse Practitioners of BC, Health Quality BC, and the UBC Innovation Support Unit, the supports are particularly helpful for practices participating in the Ministry of Health’s Nurse in Practice Program and provide a step-by-step guide through the process.

The Family Practice Services Committee (FPSC) has announced changes to better support family physicians who provide inpatient care. The delivery of inpatient care by family physicians is a foundational component of our health care system, especially in small and mid-sized hospitals that rely on a strong network of community family physicians.