Optimizing Practices, Use, Care and Services - Antipsychotics (OPUS-AP) in Quebec

In 2017, government authorities and CEOs of all of Quebec’s health and social service institutions that provide long-term care agreed to launch an integrated collaborative to reduce or discontinue the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in long term care centres (CHSLDs) in Quebec.

Based on CFHI’s Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) approach, the Optimizing Practices, Use, Care and Services – Antipsychotics (OPUS-AP) collaborative is a partnership between the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement, the Ministry of Health and Social Services in Quebec, l’Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) and Quebec’s leading experts from the four research networks. The aim of OPUS-AP is to improve the quality and experience of care for residents in CHSLDs who are living with dementia, as well as for their families, care partners and providers.

The OPUS-AP collaborative has 3 phases:

• Phase 1 (April 2017 to October 2018): 24 long-term care homes (one unit per CHSLDs)
• Phase 2 (January 2019 to April 2020): 134 long-term care homes (325 units per CHSLD)
• Phase 3 (Fall 2021): 183 long term are homes (CHSLD)

Phase 1

Phase 1 of the OPUS-AP collaborative resulted in 85.9 percent of residents having their antipsychotic medication dosage reduced or discontinued entirely among those for whom deprescription was attempted. Among participating organizations, the collaborative also had a positive impact on patient experience, population health and healthcare provider work life.

For more detail about phase 1 of OPUS-AP, check out the video below with a testimonial from one of our participating unit chiefs and project managers (currently only available in French).

To read more about phase I results download the results poster.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the OPUS-AP collaborative is focused on the expansion of the AUA approach to an additional 120 CHSLDs in Quebec. To learn about the train-the-trainer approach being implemented as part of this collaborative, watch the video below (currently only available in French).

Phase 2 ended in April 2020 and the results will be made available. Subscribe to our newsletter to be one of the first to see the results when they are available.

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Phase 3

Phase 3 of the OPUS-AP collaborative is focusing on the expansion of the AUA approach to the remaining 183 CHSLDs in Quebec. Phase 3 will start in the fall of 2021.