Administrative Assistant: Ashif Kachra
Phone: 416-480-4835
Fax: 416-480-6048
Email: ashif.kachra@ices.on.ca

Education:

• B.Phm., 1990, Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Canada
• MD, 1994, Medicine, Dalhousie University, Canada
• FRCPC, 1998, Internal Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
• FRCPC, 2000, Clinical Pharmacology, University of Toronto, Canada
• Fellowship, 2002, Medical Toxicology, University of Toronto, Canada
• PhD, 2003, Clinical Epidemiology, University of Toronto, Canada

Appointments and Affiliations:

• Scientist, clinical epidemiology - Schulich Heart Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Scientist, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
• Associate professor, departments of medicine and pediatrics, University of Toronto
• Staff physician, divisions of general internal medicine and clinical pharmacology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Medical toxicologist, Ontario Poison Information Centre, Hospital for Sick Children

Research Focus:

• Drug safety
• Epidemiology of adverse drug events
• Poisoning
• Suicide

Research Summary:

Well-intended prescribing by physicians can often have unintended consequences for patients. This is sometimes because the patients in real-world clinical practice are less healthy (or less closely monitored) than those enrolled in the premarketing studies used to characterize drug safety and effectiveness. However, some drug-related side effects are sufficiently uncommon that they only become apparent after a drug has enjoyed widespread use by large numbers of patients.

Dr. Juurlink’s research explores the epidemiology of adverse drug events using anonymized population-based health care data to explore the complex interrelationships between drug therapy and harm. One of his primary interests is the clinical consequences of drug-drug interactions, which typify avoidable drug-related injury. As a medical toxicologist, he also studies the epidemiology of deliberate self-harm, including drug overdose and suicide.

Selected Publications:

See current publications list at PubMed

Related News and Stories:

• New Network to Improve Drug Studies: Cross-country research network pairs with Health Canada to improve drug safety and efficacy studies (March 3, 2009)
• Important Announcement for Patients Taking Common Cardiac Drugs: Canadian Medical Association Journal releases study about heart attack risk and drug combinations (January 28, 2009)

Related Links:

• Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences profile