C J H P – Vol. 56, No. 4 – September 2003 J C P H – Vol. 56, n 4 – septembre 2003 positive message to legislators and bureaucrats across the country is key, and the template letter is one way to do this. Along with many other pharmacy organizations, CSHP has confirmed its support of and participation in the Pharmacy Sector Study, sponsored by Human Resources Development Canada. This study will examine practice model and human resources issues involving pharmacists and pharmacy technicians across a variety of practice settings. Later this year, members will be faced with another important opportunity to advocate for our profession. In late 2003 or early 2004 the results of the Canadian Adverse Events Study, funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, will be released. Until now, there have been no comprehensive studies of adverse events in Canadian hospitals. The study will provide information on the rate and types of adverse events occurring in acute care in Canada, drawing attention to the issue of safety in Canadian hospitals. When the study is made public, hospital leaders, the media, and patients will all be searching for information on how to enhance patient safety. CSHP and its members are well positioned to supply such information, through our standards, position papers, and expertise. Patients and administrators will be turning to you and your hospital pharmacy colleagues for advice, and CSHP will be there to provide individual members and branches with the background information they will need to answer questions and to advocate for the role of the hospital pharmacist. So why do we speak up? Very simply, it is because people listen. Take the opportunity to help advocate PRESIDENTIAL OFFICER’S REPORT