Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! I hope you had an opportunity to rest, recharge and spend time with family and friends over the holidays. This past year, the OCFP has worked hard to keep you up to date on developments impacting your practice and to offer new tools and resources. We look forward to continuing to do so in 2023.

In that spirit, our flagship annual conference, planned by fellow family physicians, is scheduled for later this month – please join us to hear about the most relevant information you need to excel in your practice and best serve your patients in 2023.

Family Medicine: Today, Tomorrow and in the Future, is taking place virtually on January 27 and 28, and features both live and on-demand content (available for six months). Register here.

Please read on for more updates to support you in your practice.

In this Email:

• Virtual Care
• Paxlovid
• COVID-19 Updates
• More Tools to Support Your Practice
• Pharmacist Prescribing for Common Ailments
• From the OCFP
• Other Opportunities

Virtual Care

• Find resources, including a Verified Solutions List for Virtual Visits from Ontario Health and a visual guide to virtual care billing from the OMA (log in to access).
• A checklist for you, and two helpful tools for patients, as part of Ontario Health’s Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care -- Guidance for Primary Care series.
  • Learning about Virtual Care Options English | French
  • Checklist for Use of Virtual Care English | French

Paxlovid

• Supports for Paxlovid treatment decisions:
  • OCFP and CEP: Evidence Brief | Decision Aid for Community Practices
  • CEP: Guidance for the prescription of PaxlovidTM (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir)
  • Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir: What Prescribers and Pharmacists need to know (updated December 12, 2022)
  • Ontario Health Recommendation on Use (December 8, 2022)
  • Ontario Health Access document (December 8, 2022)
  • eHealth Centre of Excellence: updated Paxlovid prescription form for EMRs | PDF
  • Join the COVID-19 Community of Practice on January 20 to discuss the latest evidence and guidance on outpatient COVID-19 therapeutics, particularly Paxlovid. Register

COVID-19 Updates

• Remind eligible patients to get a bivalent booster. Check eligibility.
• Updated FAQs and more bivalent vaccine information for patients and health care providers from the Ministry of Health. English and French.
• Information sheets related to the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to four years have been updated by the Ministry of Health. English and French.
• Ontario Health’s updated Long COVID Guidance for Primary Care (December 2022) includes assessment tools and resources, with a notable reminder that there are no routine tests for diagnosing post-COVID-19 conditions; testing should be based on symptoms and clinical judgement.
• Some Clinical Assessment Centres are now serving as Cough, Cold and COVID Centres and are accessible in many areas of the province. Search locations.

More Tools to Support Your Practice

• Unity Health’s parent handout with acetaminophen and ibuprofen dosing information for kids is now available in
• Re-sharing our Family Doctor Tips on Caring for Children with Respiratory Symptoms tip sheet, available in multiple languages.
• Access drug information through your Ontario MD-certified EMR from the provincial Digital Health Drug Repository. Learn more and sign up for the DHDR.

Pharmacist Prescribing for Common Ailments

• As of January 1, pharmacists are permitted to provide Ontarians with prescriptions to treat 13 common ailments. Several members have shared concerns about this legislation. In an email to members, the OMA noted it is working to ensure that physicians receive notification of a prescription given by pharmacists to patients in the most efficient manner. The OMA is also advocating for a robust plan for monitoring and evaluating this regulatory change. Together, with the OMA, we are working on this issue.

From the OCFP

• The Family Medicine Summit 2023 includes live-streamed days on January 27 and 28. Featured keynote speakers include Lieutenant-General (ret) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire, Dr. Alika Lafontaine and Dr. Robert Varnam, along with additional on-demand sessions.
• Thank you to all sponsors including our gold sponsors, Yarmouth Medical Professional Recruitment, 211 Ontario and Country Docs Physician Recruitment and Retention.
• Join Addressing the Realities of Disability and the Practice of Medicine, a community of practice scheduled for January 18.
• Register for Clinical Application of the Long-Term Care Fracture Prevention Recommendations for Frail Older Adults on February 17.
• The OCFP is seeking physicians to serve as faculty for our CFPC Exam Orientation Workshop, which is an introduction to the components of the CFPC Exam. Our next session takes place March 3-5, 2023. Learn more.

Other Opportunities

• Recordings from two recent webinars from AFHTO are now available.
  • Supporting Caregivers Supports Patients: The Critical Role of Primary Care in Preventing Caregiver Burnout
  • Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing

Thank you for your continued dedication to your patients. I wish all of you the best in 2023.

Mekalai