Dr. Adam Livingston, PharmD, is a licensed pharmacist, NutriChem’s Deprescribing Program Coordinator, and a medical cannabis consultant. He completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Queen’s University before attending The University of Toronto, where he graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2017. As a pharmacist, Adam is a proponent of the appropriate use of medications and providing patients with evidence-based options, whether they be prescription drugs or natural alternatives.
Adam’s inspiration for “deprescribing” comes from seeing how much better people feel and function when they come off of an unsafe or inappropriately prescribed drug. As a pharmacist, he believes prescription drugs can be very useful in a healthcare provider’s toolbox. When it comes to acute conditions drugs can be miracle molecules; but, for many chronic conditions in the realm of community pharmacy, they simply aren’t that effective and can be very unsafe. Patients may be faced with a poor benefit-to-risk ratio and may experience a long list of side effects associated with many prescription drugs. Adam also helps to guide some patients away from harmful drugs, such as opioids, benzodiazepines, and sleeping pills, using medical cannabis.