2013

Starting in the early 2000s, legislation and policy changes expanded medication management services to leverage pharmacists in a more patient-focused, integrative role in Ontario’s health care system. OPEN- the Ontario Pharmacy Research Collaboration, was established through a Health Systems Research Fund (HSRF) Program Award supported by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care entitled “Fostering Innovation and Evaluating Effectiveness of Ontario Pharmacist-led Medication Management Programs”, and initiated research to assess and improve the quality, outcomes and value of pharmacists’ services to improve medication use, while also building a collaborative and inter-professional research structure to translate its health systems and services research into policy and practice through ongoing knowledge user engagement.

This extensive research program was a catalyst for bringing qualified inter-professional researchers together to provide quality evidence of medication management services. OPEN continued the development of a network and infrastructure to inform and sustain medication management research and practice improvement in Ontario; built capacity across Ontario in universities, research institutions, primary care and hospitals to grow the next generation of researchers and practitioners; facilitated the inclusion of cutting edge research findings into the undergraduate (Pharm D) education/curriculum at both University of Toronto and Waterloo; and cemented the recognition of medication management as a discipline and specialty within health care practice and research.

2017

Recognizing OPEN’s established infrastructure, strong leadership team, network of multidisciplinary researchers with extensive and established expertise, the broad set of leveraged resources, and proven stakeholder and knowledge user engagement for the uptake of research into practice, education and policy, OPEN moved from a research collaboration to a research network. Thus, we undertook a rebranding and became OPEN - Ontario Pharmacy Evidence Network.

Along with other research funding, OPEN was awarded a second HSRF grant titled “OPEN:STIMULUS Building quality, sustainable medication management services for patients and the healthcare system”, which included a series of projects rooted in implementation science, proven quality improvement approaches and community engagement; to determine effective, accessible and system-integrated approaches to help patients, pharmacists and other healthcare providers choose, use and remove medications. These studies would engage patients and providers to better target, adapt, implement and evaluate medication management services to foster sustainable system change.

2019

While the OPEN:STIMULUS program funding was terminated early by the Ministry, OPEN researchers continue to pursue important health research supported through other funding sources. OPEN continues to foster a network of researchers, students and knowledge users that conducts research to inform policy, education, and health care practice.