The Therapeutics Initiative (TI) is an independent organization at the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
(UBC) which researches the effectiveness of medications and provides education to health care providers in
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
about the use of medications.
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History
The Therapeutics Initiative was founded in 1994 by the British Columbia Ministry of Health.PharmaCare Pharmacare is a Canadian proposal for a publicly funded insurance program for medications, similar to Medicare (Canada), Medicare for health insurance. Limited pharmacare programs exist in the provinces of Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Mu ...
.[ These reports are generated without look at costs just medication effects.][ This is done independently of the ]pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry is a medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or self-administered by) patients for curing ...
and government.[ and are part of the ]International Society of Drug Bulletins
The International Society of Drug Bulletins works to increase the sharing of high quality information on medical treatments and medication between countries. It was started in 1986 and is supported by the World Health Organization.
To be a member ...
.
Controversy
In 2008, a pharmaceutical task force established by the British Columbia government published a report on the Therapeutics Initiative.[ The task force members included Russell Williams who was then head of Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) and employees of ]Angiotech Pharmaceuticals
Angiotech was a pharmaceutical company in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Angiotech was founded in 1992 by William L. Hunter, Lindsay Machan, and Larry Arsenault. It sought to develop innovative technologies and medical products primarily fo ...
.[ They recommended closing the TI.][
]
See also
* Prescrire
*National Prescribing Service
NPS MedicineWise, previously the National Prescribing Service (NPS), was an Australian not-for-profit prescribing and pharmaceutical information service. The NPS was founded in March 1998 and funded by the federal Department of Health and Aged ...
References
{{reflist
University of British Columbia
Pharmacology journals