Over the coming year, CPSM will be reviewing several important documents which regulate the practice of many members. These include: 

• Standard of Practice – Prescribing Opioids
• Standard of Practice – Prescribing Benzodiazepines & Z‑Drugs
• Practice Direction – Rural, Remote, and Underserved Populations: Access to Prescribed Drugs

The CPSM has reached out for member input at an early stage. We think this provides an excellent opportunity for members to participate in the review of these documents, and ensure that the goal of patient safety is met without imposing greater burdens on our members. We encourage you to participate in this special opportunity to make an impact on Manitoba’s medical standards of practice. 

How to Get Involved

As a starting point for this review, CPSM would like to hear from you about what can be done to improve these important documents. 

• What works?
• What does not work? 
• What needs to be changed? 
• Which parts do not require change? 
• Would minor edits be suffice or does it require a more thorough rewrite? 

You can send your thoughts to cpsmconsultation@​cpsm.​mb.​ca. You can be as detailed as you would like, or a simple bullet point email is sufficient. 

As always, if you do not feel comfortable providing this to the CPSM directly, you can send us your thoughts and we will summarize the feedback we receive and forward it to the CPSM. If you do send your feedback to CPSM, please send us a copy at practiceadvice@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca!

Are you interested in participating in the working group?

We welcome the CPSM’s creation of a working group to review these documents and make recommendations to CPSM Council. 

A wide diversity of experience in the working group will improve these recommendations. CPSM advises they are looking for: 

• Experience — individuals who prescribe Opioids, Benzodiazepines & Z‑Drugs in different practices — Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Geriatric Psychiatry, etc. 
• Expertise in Opioid Agonist Therapy. 
• Indigenous health expertise and lived experiences, crucial for meaningful and effective prescribing standards. 
• A variety of practice settings – rural, remote, community, and institutional. 

CPSM estimates that the working group will meet approximately six times over a 10-month period, each meeting lasting 2 to 3 hours. 

Working group members will be paid an Honoria by the CPSM. 

If you are interested in participating, please email the CPSM at cpsmconsultation@​cpsm.​mb.​ca with a few lines about yourself and the perspective you would bring.