A University of Saskatchewan clinical resource developed for pharmacists is growing in popularity.

Since last September, a number of Canadian pharmacy schools, professional associations, and private companies have been paying licensing fees to USask to use a set of 27 prescribing guidelines.

It was created and maintained by medSask, a drug information service for Saskatchewan health-care professionals and residents located in USask’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition. The guidelines are a comprehensive resource for pharmacists designed to help them decide whether, and what, to prescribe for minor conditions and self-care conditions ranging from acne and cold sores, to urinary tract infections and hormonal contraception.

Charity Evans, director of medSask, says pharmacists love the fact that, “They don’t have to scroll through pages and pages on websites.” She says, “Everything is right here, easy to find, succinct.”

Pharmacy schools and professional associations pay a flat annual fee based on the number of pharmacy students or pharmacists using the guidelines. With for-profit companies looking to incorporate the guidelines into their products, sales-based agreements are negotiated that limit vendors’ upfront investment, but reward USask appropriately if the product is successful.

medSask provides Saskatchewan health-care professionals and residents with evidence-based drug information 365 days a year. It is funded by the Ministry of Health’s Saskatchewan Drug Plan and Extended Benefits Branch, the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals, and individual donations.