Dear Colleagues,

I hope you are all keeping well and finding ways to care for yourselves as we enter a challenging respiratory season.  To assist you in your practices, the OCFP has prepared and updated resources you will find below.  As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you require additional support.

• Clinic Readiness | In-person Care
• COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters | Treatments | Evusheld
• Upcoming from the OCFP
• Routine Vaccines
• Primary Care in Focus

Clinic Readiness | In-Person Care

We are seeing high rates of respiratory illnesses, including RSV, COVID and influenza. Here are resources to support you as you continue to care for your patients.

From the OCFP

• See IPAC Guidance for Community Practices to support you in providing a safe environment for yourself, your patients and your team.
• We’ve compiled a list of 10 important IPAC and PPE questions and answers to support you in your office.
• Use this guidance to manage symptomatic patients in person, screen for respiratory illness and as a guide for when to refer.
• Adapt this template script to provide your patients with information throughout this respiratory season.

Focus on children

With continued shortages of children’s pain medications, the Canadian Pharmacists Association has  developed information for families and caregivers.

• We have updated the My child has COVID. What should I know? resource on the Confused about COVID
• The SickKids Virtual Urgent Care program offers a convenient way to get medical advice or care remotely.
• For your patients: Look for When to come to the Emergency Department on this CHEO resource page to help parents determine if their child needs emergency care.

COVID-19 Vaccines and Boosters | Treatments | Evusheld

• Our last COVID-19 Community of Practice with UofT DFCM and panelists, Dr. Janine McCready and Dr. Rosemarie Lall focused on managing respiratory illness. A recording has been uploaded for those who were not able to attend. A few helpful timestamps are noted below:
  • Janine McCready (5:44) – IPAC precautions and testing and treatment
  • Rosemarie Lall (48:25) – Helpful and practical tips for providing in-person care
  • 1:01:45 – Tamiflu discussion/Q&A
• Our next COVID-19 Community of Practice is scheduled for Nov. 11, focusing on managing paediatric respiratory illness in the community setting. An infectious disease expert will join us to provide updates on COVID-19 including new variants, vaccines and more.
• Fall boosters:
  • For patients, the Confused about COVID information on boosters has been updated and this flow chart also clarifies timing and eligibility.
  • To support you in vaccinating, the OMA shared a new, detailed reference tool for vaccines (log in to access); and the Ministry of Health has developed this Q&A to also help in answering patient questions.
  • NACI has provided recommendations for fall boosters by age group. The Centre for Effective Practice has a helpful summary on their website.
• See this recorded session on Wise practices for COVID vaccinators, for important considerations in vaccinating Indigenous populations.
• As a reminder we are again providing Ontario Health’s information regarding Evusheld.
• Health care providers may determine if Paxlovid is the appropriate treatment for a patient even if they do not meet established criteria, based on individual circumstances. See Ontario’s information for testing and treatment, and the Ontario Science Advisory Table's Paxlovid: What Prescribers and Pharmacists Need to Know. Here is more information from Ontario Health on access.

Upcoming from the OCFP

• Join us Nov. 18 at 8 am for a Community of Practice focused on the clinical application of the long-term fracture prevention recommendations for frail older adults. This program will address existing care gaps by illustrating the application of pharmacological and non-pharmacological fracture prevention recommendations with frail older adults in LTC. Register here.
• Do you want to learn more about differentiating between nociceptive and neuropathic pain? Join the Practising Well Community of Practice on Nov. 23 as we breakdown nociceptive and neuropathic pain and identify warning signs to look out for in a pain condition.
• Interested in connecting with your peers about mental health, substance use disorders or chronic pain? Learn more about Practising Well Peer Connect and becoming a Peer Guide or a Peer Learner.

Routine Vaccines

• Routine and other vaccinations have been delayed by the pandemic for some, including children. Here is guidance from the Ministry of Health for catch up on missed doses.

Primary Care in Focus

• Ontario Health is leading a three-part series on the Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care. Part One, 'Why Develop Guidance for the Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care?’ took place on Oct. 21. Registration is now open for Part Two on Nov. 4 and Part Three on Nov. 25.
• On Oct. 3, Ontario’s Science Table released its final brief, a three-part exploration of how primary care responded to and was affected by, the pandemic, as well as impacts for ongoing health system planning and policy. A webinar is scheduled for Nov. 30 during which contributors will discuss the more significant findings and implications from the report.

I am grateful to all of you for your commitment to the work that you do.  As we saw highlighted in the Ontario Science Table’s last brief, family physicians are the glue that holds our system together.  Thank you for the many ways in which you support and care for your patients.  It is deeply appreciated.

Mekalai