Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

Although they are the youngest population in Canada, Indigenous Peoples have a higher prevalence of many chronic health conditions, including polypharmacy (use of 5 or more medications). Polypharmacy is associated with many harmful side effects, including falls, early loss of independence, hospitalization, and death. There is very little research in Canada examining polypharmacy and medication appropriateness from an Indigenous perspective. With the goal of improving Indigenous health outcomes, our team will lay the foundation for future research in this area by: 1)Gathering Indigenous and non-Indigenous health researchers, Indigenous community partners and knowledge users nationally to catalyze a new research team devoted to the research and promotion of medication appropriateness within Indigenous communities; and 2)Holding three community consultations, in 2024, that incorporate such Indigenous methodologies as talking circles, storytelling, and art to determine the needs, gaps, priorities, and opportunities relating to appropriate medication use in partnering Indigenous communities. The Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network (CADeN) Indigenization Working Group members are leading this grant. Through their considerable knowledge and expertise in both Indigenous health research and medication appropriateness, they are committed to meaningful and culturally safe involvement with Indigenous People, and to research that honours, involves, and respects Indigenous ways of knowing and doing. The outputs of this grant include detailed reports on each of the three community consultations; the creation of a new permanent committee within CADeN's structure devoted to this subject, bringing on up to six new members; as well as the finalization of an engagement protocol and a research partnership agreement in preparation for submitting a proposal for a program to address Indigenous Peoples' priorities around medication appropriateness.