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. Their shared goal was to reduce or discontinue the inappropriate use of antipsychotic medications in long-term care centres (CHSLDs) in Quebec.

Based on the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) approach, the Optimizing Practices, Use, Care and Services – Antipsychotics (OPUS-AP) collaborative is a partnership between Healthcare Excellence Canada, 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. OPUS-AP aims 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 three phases: 

• Phase 1 (April 2017 to October 2018): 24 CHSLDs participated (one unit per CHSLD) 
• Phase 2 (January 2019 to April 2020): 129 CHSLDs participated (325 units per CHSLD) 
• Phase 3 (Winter 2022): All 317 publicly funded CHSLDs participating. 

Phase 1 

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

For more details about phase 1 of OPUS-AP, including a testimonial from one of our participating unit chiefs and project managers, you can watch the video below (currently only available in French). 

Download the transcript of the video

You can read more about phase 1 results in the OPUS-AP Results Poster for Phase 1.

Phase 2 

In Phase 2 of the OPUS-AP collaborative, the team supported an additional 129 CHSLDs in Quebec in rolling out the AUA approach. To learn about the train-the-trainer approach being implemented as part of this collaborative, you can watch the video below (currently only available in French). 

Download the transcript of the video 

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.

Phase 2 Regions

Phase 3 

In Phase 3 of the OPUS-AP collaborative we are focusing on supporting all 317 publicly funded CHSLDs in Quebec in implementing the AUA approach. Phase 3 will start in the winter of 2022.