COVID-19: Physician Communication

2021:

• July 6: Guidance for medical clinics: Stage 3 began July 1
• June 25: Stage 3 Reopening on July 1, joint statement from the AMA and CPSA
• June 24: Telephone Town Hall: COVID-19, Immunization and Beyond
• June 1: From the CMOH: second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
• May 21: A message from the Registrar: mask exemptions
• May 13: New masking restrictions, medical exemption letters
• May 11: Restrictions on personal and wellness services
• April 27: From the CMOH: Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for High Risk Children
• April 23: From Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health: Alberta COVID-19 Immunization Program Update
• April 17: Alberta Health COVID-19 Vaccine Update: VITT following AstraZeneca
• April 12: COVID-19 Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals
• March 30: From Alberta Health: change in eligibility for AstraZeneca vaccine (physicians, please see your inbox)
• March 26: On behalf of Alberta Health: safety information on AstraZeneca vaccine risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (physicians, please see your inbox)
• March 4: Updated guidance for physicians on mask use

2020:

• Dec. 12: An update from the Registrar: providing personal and health services during the COVID-19 shutdown
• Dec. 3: COVID-19 Physician Registry: Second Wave
• Nov. 13: A message to physicians from Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and CPSA’s Registrar
• July 31: Advice on Reopening Practice now includes guidance on masks, plus more
• June 29: COVID-19: Updated advice on reopening practice, AB TraceTogether app survey & more
• June 19: COVID-19: Updated advice on job action, news about PPE and more
• June 9: COVID-19: Reopening your practice, IPAC community clinic guidelines and more
• May 29: COVID-19: Updates on virtual care, PPE and more
• May 25: Connect with your patients securely and virtually: Register for Alberta Health’s secure email messaging service
• May 22: Physician Register and new scientific findings from AHS
• May 6: COVID-19: Order from the Chief Medical Officer on resuming non-essential services
• May 1: CPSA Advice to the Profession: COVID-19 Reopening Practice
• April 23: COVID-19: Advance Care Planning resources, patient care webinar, and updated PPE and lab bulletins
• April 16: COVID-19: PPE, lab update and physician registry
• April 8: Update – how CPSA will deal with postponed certifying exams for residents
• April 3: CPSA Advice to the Profession: Defining “Urgent” During COVID-19
• March 31: Joint statement from ACP and CPSA
• March 27: Prenatal And Postnatal Clinic
• March 27: Physician Registry Reminder (Outstanding)
• March 27: A message to the profession from Alberta’s health agencies
• March 26: COVID-19 Physician Registry
• March 25: How CPSA plans to deal with postponed certifying exams for residents
• March 23: Update for PRA-AB Assessors and Applicants
• March 21: An update from the Registrar—COVID-19
• March 19: Updates on billing for virtual care, Royal College exams and more
• March 17: CPSA Advice to the Profession: COVID-19 Virtual Care (advice document updated March 26)
• March 13: Updated information about COVID-19
• March 12: Message about COVID-19 from the Registrar
• March 7: Additional updates on screening criteria

• Antimicrobial utilization in COVID-19 patients for suspected coinfection or superinfection
• Non-respiratory tract symptoms associated with COVID-19

• Position Statement on the management of sleep disordered breathing during the COVID-19 pandemic

• COVID-19 mitigation strategies for sleep clinics and labs

• APL Bulletin: Discontinue using APTIMA® Multitest or Unisex Swabs for COVID-19 testing (Sep 2)
• Continuation of ordering only clinically necessary laboratory testing during COVID-19 Pandemic (May 8)
• Rural Outpatient Laboratories in Acute/Urgent Care Facilities During COVID-19 Pandemic (Apr 30)
• Update to Cessation of FIT  (Apr 3)
• Cessation of Routine Laboratory & Fecal Immunochemical Testing (FIT) Testing (Mar 25)

• Addressing Delays in Laboratory Services
• Changes to Routine HBV, HCV and HIV Viral Load Testing and HSV/VZV Phoning
• Asymptomatic screening for COVID-19

The Northwest Territories are looking to physicians from Alberta, for help responding to the pandemic. Find how to get involved.

• COVID-19 and CMPA protection

The Alberta College of Pharmacy (ACP) has provided pharmacists with the following direction to follow during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keep this in mind when you are prescribing:

ACP recommends pharmacists advise and assist their patients who require medication on a regular basis, to ensure they are up-to-date and have a sufficient supply to manage their chronic conditions. If the patient does not have an adequate supply, pharmacists should take steps, including contacting the prescriber or adapting prescriptions as appropriate. Aim to provide patients only an adequate supply, as stockpiling medications in large quantities is unnecessary and could trigger drug shortages.

If self-isolated patients require medications, ideally the patient should have someone to act as their agent to pick up the medications from the pharmacy (who is not ill and has not been exposed). If this is not possible, medications may be delivered to the patient, but processes should be developed to prevent direct contact with the patient while maintaining security of the drugs and patient confidentiality.

When presented with patients whose pharmacies are closed and have no access to their patient records, pharmacists are advised to review Netcare and other evidence of ongoing therapy as a part of their assessment to renew the prescriptions. Refer to the ACP Prescribing algorithms for adaptation and renewal to aid in decision-making.

• Recommendations on Chronic Pain Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic