Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

The purpose of Citizen Council is to embed a patient and public engagement approach within the Ontario Pharmacy Evidence Network (OPEN). OPEN is a team of multidisciplinary researchers working together to evaluate the quality, outcomes and value of medication management services that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals provide. The Council meetings will take place in the spring and fall of 2020. The Citizen Council will bring the voices of patients and their families to the forefront of OPEN at a program level as well as in individual projects. This meeting will assemble 12 citizens from a variety of demographics living in Waterloo and Toronto areas. The overall objective of the proposed two meetings is to learn how to better integrate citizen perspectives into pharmacy practice research. In order to achieve this objective at the conclusion of each meeting we will evaluate the engagement activity (i.e., the Panel meeting) and then use the feedback to improve the next engagement activity. Additionally, we will be collecting data on how pharmacy research projects have changed because of the Council's involvement. Two half day meetings are planned. Having two meetings will not only allow us to work through a feedback cycle but also give the Council time to reflect on the work that OPEN does and how they can contribute as well as provide OPEN researchers two opportunities to present their research and gather feedback. In addition, Council members will complete an online training session.