From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Musquodoboit Harbour pharmacy has scored a North American first with a new pill-checking machine that snaps photos of drug packages before they go out the door.
For the past year, Forest Hill Drug Mart has quietly been conducting trials on a compact medication detection machine developed by Global Factories of Holland.
"It digitally photographs and checks the contents of each packet," drug mart owner Nathan Hill said Wednesday.
"Typically what you have is different levels of checks and balances throughout the prescription process. We would have multiple technicians checking the packaging and then it goes on to a pharmacist to do a final check."
The new machine allows Forest Hill to skip one level of technician checks, saving about 20 hours of work a week.
"It’s 99.99 per cent accurate in finding errors in packaging," Mr. Hill said.
The device reads and photographs small cellophane packages used to distribute individual doses of medications to nursing homes, halfway houses and retail patients. ...more
Showing posts with label Nova Scotia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nova Scotia. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Monday, July 27, 2009
Don’t take symptoms lightly — pharmacists
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Some pharmacists in Halifax are sending clients with bad coughs and other flu-like symptoms directly to their doctors in light of the H1N1 outbreak in the province.
And, it’s likely there will be more such referrals after Friday’s first recorded swine flu death, they say.
"I have recommended on at least two occasions when someone had quite a bad cough . . . that they seek medical attention right away," said Mary Ellen Savage, a pharmacist at Kyte’s Pharmasave in Dartmouth.
"For that type of symptom, I’m trying to refer them immediately."
A pharmacist at a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in central Halifax said those with flu-like symptoms are being told they should get checked out "as soon as possible." ...more
Some pharmacists in Halifax are sending clients with bad coughs and other flu-like symptoms directly to their doctors in light of the H1N1 outbreak in the province.
And, it’s likely there will be more such referrals after Friday’s first recorded swine flu death, they say.
"I have recommended on at least two occasions when someone had quite a bad cough . . . that they seek medical attention right away," said Mary Ellen Savage, a pharmacist at Kyte’s Pharmasave in Dartmouth.
"For that type of symptom, I’m trying to refer them immediately."
A pharmacist at a Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in central Halifax said those with flu-like symptoms are being told they should get checked out "as soon as possible." ...more
Saturday, April 11, 2009
C.B. doctor wants way to recycle used drugs
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Ron MacCormick has attracted national attention by pitching the idea of recycling prescription drugs, which isn’t done in Canada.
The 56-year-old Cape Breton oncologist got the idea from the families of cancer patients who wanted their leftover or unused medication put to good use.
Dr. MacCormick says that a lot of expensive drugs, especially those used to treat illnesses such as cancer, are being wasted. In Canada, about $200 billion is spent on oral medication every year. If one per cent of that amount was recycled it would save $2 billion, he says. Flushing leftover drugs down the toilet has also resulted in traces of the medication turning up in drinking water throughout North America. ...more
Ron MacCormick has attracted national attention by pitching the idea of recycling prescription drugs, which isn’t done in Canada.
The 56-year-old Cape Breton oncologist got the idea from the families of cancer patients who wanted their leftover or unused medication put to good use.
Dr. MacCormick says that a lot of expensive drugs, especially those used to treat illnesses such as cancer, are being wasted. In Canada, about $200 billion is spent on oral medication every year. If one per cent of that amount was recycled it would save $2 billion, he says. Flushing leftover drugs down the toilet has also resulted in traces of the medication turning up in drinking water throughout North America. ...more
Sunday, March 29, 2009
New study pinpoints prescription error problems
From CTV News:
Every day, pharmacists find errors on physician prescriptions; most are corrected and quickly forgotten. Now a new study is counting those errors -- and the results are surprising.
Under a unique program, pharmacists in Nova Scotia are now tracking and reporting what they call "near hits" - those mistakes that patients never hear about but ones that -- had they not been caught -- could have sent the wrong medication or the wrong dose to a patient.
The ongoing study recruited 13 pharmacies across Nova Scotia, asking workers there to keep track of the errors and near-errors they encounter. They were then asked to report the errors anonymously using an online reporting tool.
In just eight months, the pharmacists at the 13 drug stores have reported 813 potential medication errors.
Dr. Neil MacKinnon, an associate professor at the College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University, helped launch the study, called SafetyNET. He notes that all of the reported errors were caught in time and corrected before they got to the patient. ...more
Every day, pharmacists find errors on physician prescriptions; most are corrected and quickly forgotten. Now a new study is counting those errors -- and the results are surprising.
Under a unique program, pharmacists in Nova Scotia are now tracking and reporting what they call "near hits" - those mistakes that patients never hear about but ones that -- had they not been caught -- could have sent the wrong medication or the wrong dose to a patient.
The ongoing study recruited 13 pharmacies across Nova Scotia, asking workers there to keep track of the errors and near-errors they encounter. They were then asked to report the errors anonymously using an online reporting tool.
In just eight months, the pharmacists at the 13 drug stores have reported 813 potential medication errors.
Dr. Neil MacKinnon, an associate professor at the College of Pharmacy at Dalhousie University, helped launch the study, called SafetyNET. He notes that all of the reported errors were caught in time and corrected before they got to the patient. ...more
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
AR pharmacy offers bone density scan
From Nova News Now (NS):
A new bone scanner is making it easy for Valley residents to get a heads-up on their thigh-bones.
Hutchins Pharmasave in Annapolis Royal has purchased an ultra-sound scanner that measures bone density. Weekly clinics are now being scheduled to give folks a chance to see how their bones are shaping up, and if needed, take steps to reverse the early stages of osteopenia, or low bone mass.
Krista and Danny McClair, owners of Hutchins Pharmasave, decided to buy the scanner after hosting several bone screening clinics last year. This is the only pharmacy in Atlantic Canada to offer this service, and it’s the only bone scanner in Kings and Annapolis counties. ...more
A new bone scanner is making it easy for Valley residents to get a heads-up on their thigh-bones.
Hutchins Pharmasave in Annapolis Royal has purchased an ultra-sound scanner that measures bone density. Weekly clinics are now being scheduled to give folks a chance to see how their bones are shaping up, and if needed, take steps to reverse the early stages of osteopenia, or low bone mass.
Krista and Danny McClair, owners of Hutchins Pharmasave, decided to buy the scanner after hosting several bone screening clinics last year. This is the only pharmacy in Atlantic Canada to offer this service, and it’s the only bone scanner in Kings and Annapolis counties. ...more
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Pharmacist wins national award
From the South Shore (NS) Now:
A dispensary manager at a Mahone Bay drugstore has received a national award for patient care.
Susan Beresford of Kinburn Pharmasave in Mahone Bay recently earned the award for overall patient care in the 2008 Commitment to Care and Service Awards Program, sponsored by Pharmacy Practice and Drugstore Canada magazines.
In a recent press release marking the announcement, representatives of the two magazines cited Ms Beresford for her 30-year career as a pharmacist, saying the model she exemplifies of accessible, informative and supportive services "has embraced a collaborative approach to aiding patients." ...more
A dispensary manager at a Mahone Bay drugstore has received a national award for patient care.
Susan Beresford of Kinburn Pharmasave in Mahone Bay recently earned the award for overall patient care in the 2008 Commitment to Care and Service Awards Program, sponsored by Pharmacy Practice and Drugstore Canada magazines.
In a recent press release marking the announcement, representatives of the two magazines cited Ms Beresford for her 30-year career as a pharmacist, saying the model she exemplifies of accessible, informative and supportive services "has embraced a collaborative approach to aiding patients." ...more
Saturday, November 15, 2008
OxyContin maker: Pills seized in C.B. weren’t the real deal
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Representatives of the company that makes the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin flew to Sydney on Thursday to examine a vast quantity of seized pills that turned out to be knock-offs.
Police in Cape Breton seized 25,000 oxycodone tablets from a vehicle at a parking lot last week in what is considered the biggest bust of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Staff Sgt. Paul Jobe said police are now confident the drugs, which have an estimated street value of about $700,000, are not of pharmaceutical grade.
Investigators met with drug-makers Purdue Pharma at police headquarters in Sydney where the company made a presentation on their manufacturing and security systems.
"It’s not the same quality they would produce," said Jobe. "They have a coating they put on their pills, they have a stamp they put on their pills, there’s a (certain) way they produce them."
The U.S.-based pharmaceutical company operates a facility in Pickering, Ont., and is the only maker of the brand OxyContin in Canada. There are eight other manufacturers of its generic form oxycodone, though none deal with the high milligram content found on the pills that were seized. ...more
Representatives of the company that makes the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin flew to Sydney on Thursday to examine a vast quantity of seized pills that turned out to be knock-offs.
Police in Cape Breton seized 25,000 oxycodone tablets from a vehicle at a parking lot last week in what is considered the biggest bust of its kind in Atlantic Canada.
Staff Sgt. Paul Jobe said police are now confident the drugs, which have an estimated street value of about $700,000, are not of pharmaceutical grade.
Investigators met with drug-makers Purdue Pharma at police headquarters in Sydney where the company made a presentation on their manufacturing and security systems.
"It’s not the same quality they would produce," said Jobe. "They have a coating they put on their pills, they have a stamp they put on their pills, there’s a (certain) way they produce them."
The U.S.-based pharmaceutical company operates a facility in Pickering, Ont., and is the only maker of the brand OxyContin in Canada. There are eight other manufacturers of its generic form oxycodone, though none deal with the high milligram content found on the pills that were seized. ...more
Thursday, November 13, 2008
C.B. cops make big Oxy bust
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Some 25,000 OxyContin pills were seized in a downtown parking lot Friday night in what the acting chief of Cape Breton Regional Police says could be the biggest bust of the prescription drug in Atlantic Canada.
Plastic baggies filled with the powerful pills lined a table at police headquarters Monday as Staff Sgt. Paul Jobe told reporters about the takedown.
Members of the street crime unit staked out a car in a parking lot along the Esplanade on Friday and moved in when the suspects got out, he said. A small amount of marijuana was also seized.
Christopher John Allingham of Eastern Passage and Todd Douglas Miller of the Montreal area appeared briefly in Sydney provincial court on Monday....more
Some 25,000 OxyContin pills were seized in a downtown parking lot Friday night in what the acting chief of Cape Breton Regional Police says could be the biggest bust of the prescription drug in Atlantic Canada.
Plastic baggies filled with the powerful pills lined a table at police headquarters Monday as Staff Sgt. Paul Jobe told reporters about the takedown.
Members of the street crime unit staked out a car in a parking lot along the Esplanade on Friday and moved in when the suspects got out, he said. A small amount of marijuana was also seized.
Christopher John Allingham of Eastern Passage and Todd Douglas Miller of the Montreal area appeared briefly in Sydney provincial court on Monday....more
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Entrepreneur writes up alternative to drug samples
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Nova Scotia entrepreneur William Adams will take centre stage Friday at a special awards ceremony celebrating innovation.
Mr. Adams is the force behind SmartSample, which replaces traditional pharmaceutical samples with a specialized prescription that physicians can endorse and give to patients. Patients can use the prescription to receive free samples from any pharmacy in Canada from its regular supply of medications.
A practice dating back to the 1920s, sampling is the pharmaceutical industry’s primary marketing tool. It also has a important role in health care because it allows physicians and patients to evaluate drug therapies at no cost.
But as traditionally practised, Mr. Adams said sampling is wasteful and incompatible with electronic health records, and has the potential to compromise patient safety.
As a new pharmaceutical rep in the 1990s, on the road for two weeks each month with a minivan full of drug samples, Mr. Adams quickly realized how challenging it was to meet Health Canada’s guidelines for pharmaceutical products. Like prescribed medications, drug samples should be stored at the right temperature and used before they expire, and Adams says that before pharmaceutical reps can collect expired drug samples, many end up in landfills. ...more
Nova Scotia entrepreneur William Adams will take centre stage Friday at a special awards ceremony celebrating innovation.
Mr. Adams is the force behind SmartSample, which replaces traditional pharmaceutical samples with a specialized prescription that physicians can endorse and give to patients. Patients can use the prescription to receive free samples from any pharmacy in Canada from its regular supply of medications.
A practice dating back to the 1920s, sampling is the pharmaceutical industry’s primary marketing tool. It also has a important role in health care because it allows physicians and patients to evaluate drug therapies at no cost.
But as traditionally practised, Mr. Adams said sampling is wasteful and incompatible with electronic health records, and has the potential to compromise patient safety.
As a new pharmaceutical rep in the 1990s, on the road for two weeks each month with a minivan full of drug samples, Mr. Adams quickly realized how challenging it was to meet Health Canada’s guidelines for pharmaceutical products. Like prescribed medications, drug samples should be stored at the right temperature and used before they expire, and Adams says that before pharmaceutical reps can collect expired drug samples, many end up in landfills. ...more
Thursday, August 28, 2008
N.S. man sues over drug Avandia
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Nova Scotian man has launched a class action lawsuit against the federal government and the company responsible for the popular drug Avandia, most commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
Counsel for Ronald Finck of Shinimicas Village, Cumberland County, filed the statement of claim in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax on Wednesday.
Named as defendants are Glaxosmithkline Inc., Glaxosmithkline PLC, Glaxosmithkline Services Unlimited, Smithkline Beecham Corporation and the Attorney General of Canada.
In the court document, lawyer Wei Wu of the Merchant Law Group in Saskatchewan claims that Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, raises the risk of heart attack, heart failure and death in older patients.
He alleges that Glaxosmithkline knew or should have known that its product, approved by Health Canada on March 21, 2000, was unsafe for patients. ...more
A Nova Scotian man has launched a class action lawsuit against the federal government and the company responsible for the popular drug Avandia, most commonly used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
Counsel for Ronald Finck of Shinimicas Village, Cumberland County, filed the statement of claim in Nova Scotia Supreme Court in Halifax on Wednesday.
Named as defendants are Glaxosmithkline Inc., Glaxosmithkline PLC, Glaxosmithkline Services Unlimited, Smithkline Beecham Corporation and the Attorney General of Canada.
In the court document, lawyer Wei Wu of the Merchant Law Group in Saskatchewan claims that Avandia, also known as rosiglitazone, raises the risk of heart attack, heart failure and death in older patients.
He alleges that Glaxosmithkline knew or should have known that its product, approved by Health Canada on March 21, 2000, was unsafe for patients. ...more
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Pharmacists working with patients, doctors on medication reviews
From the Cape Breton (NS) Post:
The goal of the medication review program is to help patients achieve the best outcomes with their medications while minimizing risk.
Designed by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, the program can now be offered by community pharmacies throughout Nova Scotia.
Tanya Howley, the pharmacist/owner of North Sydney’s Shoppers Drug Mart, has a pharmacist dedicated to the program, but the reviews will be done on a demand basis.
“The program works in conjunction with the physician,” she said. “The key is to provide patients with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their medications and identify and resolve potential barriers to medication delivery.”
In order to quality, you have to be a senior and on the Pharmacare program, be taking at least four medications or taking medication that potentially puts you at risk of adverse effects and have at least one of the following; diabetes, asthma, arthritis, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, hyperlipidemia or hypertension. ...more
The goal of the medication review program is to help patients achieve the best outcomes with their medications while minimizing risk.
Designed by the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, the program can now be offered by community pharmacies throughout Nova Scotia.
Tanya Howley, the pharmacist/owner of North Sydney’s Shoppers Drug Mart, has a pharmacist dedicated to the program, but the reviews will be done on a demand basis.
“The program works in conjunction with the physician,” she said. “The key is to provide patients with the opportunity to gain a better understanding of their medications and identify and resolve potential barriers to medication delivery.”
In order to quality, you have to be a senior and on the Pharmacare program, be taking at least four medications or taking medication that potentially puts you at risk of adverse effects and have at least one of the following; diabetes, asthma, arthritis, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, hyperlipidemia or hypertension. ...more
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Woman can now buy cancer drug at cost
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Guysborough County woman will now be able to buy Avastin at cost from an Antigonish hospital, saving about $400 per dose compared to what she originally paid for the cancer drug.
She and her husband hope others will get the same benefits and that Nova Scotia will eventually pay for the pricey treatment.
Marlene George, 47, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer a year ago and has been taking Avastin and having chemotherapy for 10 months.
Her husband Blair George said that in getting the drug at cost they’ve won a battle but not the war.
"We’re not special people here," he said Friday. "This has got to be something for everybody for the short term, and in the long term, my fight is for the government to pay for it."
The late Jim Connors, a lawyer, former Dartmouth city councillor and cancer patient, led a strong lobby urging the province to fund the colorectal cancer treatment which he could afford but others could not. ...more
A Guysborough County woman will now be able to buy Avastin at cost from an Antigonish hospital, saving about $400 per dose compared to what she originally paid for the cancer drug.
She and her husband hope others will get the same benefits and that Nova Scotia will eventually pay for the pricey treatment.
Marlene George, 47, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer a year ago and has been taking Avastin and having chemotherapy for 10 months.
Her husband Blair George said that in getting the drug at cost they’ve won a battle but not the war.
"We’re not special people here," he said Friday. "This has got to be something for everybody for the short term, and in the long term, my fight is for the government to pay for it."
The late Jim Connors, a lawyer, former Dartmouth city councillor and cancer patient, led a strong lobby urging the province to fund the colorectal cancer treatment which he could afford but others could not. ...more
Thursday, April 03, 2008
MD: ‘So far, so good’ on Pharmacare
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Halifax doctor says the province’s month-old family Pharmacare program has helped some of her patients get the drugs they need.
"So far, so good," rheumatologist Dr. Dianne Mosher said Wednesday.
Nova Scotia has the highest prevalence of arthritis in Canada.
Earlier this year, Arthritis Consumer Experts, a national education organization for people with the inflammatory joint disease, gave the province a C-minus grade for access to medically necessary treatments.
But the family drug program, which began March 1, is meant to help the 30 per cent of Nova Scotians who have no private drug insurance afford the medications they need. ...more
A Halifax doctor says the province’s month-old family Pharmacare program has helped some of her patients get the drugs they need.
"So far, so good," rheumatologist Dr. Dianne Mosher said Wednesday.
Nova Scotia has the highest prevalence of arthritis in Canada.
Earlier this year, Arthritis Consumer Experts, a national education organization for people with the inflammatory joint disease, gave the province a C-minus grade for access to medically necessary treatments.
But the family drug program, which began March 1, is meant to help the 30 per cent of Nova Scotians who have no private drug insurance afford the medications they need. ...more
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Take a clean pill
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
BRENT FAY has helped make chocolate trays and winter tires, and all that experience came in to play developing a brand new product that prevents potentially deadly reactions in people who are taking medicine.
Mr. Fay and his partner Michael Jarvis are making the world’s first self-cleaning pill dispensing system, and they’re doing it out of their machine shop in Chester.
It’s been tested by the National Research Council, where scientists have proven it is a drastic improvement over the traditional plastic trays pharmacists use to dispense pills.
The two men recently incorporated their business under the name Clean Count Inc. and are awaiting the patent for their system. ...more
BRENT FAY has helped make chocolate trays and winter tires, and all that experience came in to play developing a brand new product that prevents potentially deadly reactions in people who are taking medicine.
Mr. Fay and his partner Michael Jarvis are making the world’s first self-cleaning pill dispensing system, and they’re doing it out of their machine shop in Chester.
It’s been tested by the National Research Council, where scientists have proven it is a drastic improvement over the traditional plastic trays pharmacists use to dispense pills.
The two men recently incorporated their business under the name Clean Count Inc. and are awaiting the patent for their system. ...more
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
N.S. premier encourages residents to enrol in new prescription drug plan
From the Amherst (NS) Daily News:
Nova Scotians living without prescription drug coverage are being encouraged to enrol in a provincial plan at no cost.
Rodney MacDonald launched the family pharmacare program Monday.
Individuals and their families are invited to enrol in the universal drug plan with no premiums or fees.
The program will cap annual out-of-pocket costs for eligible drugs at a percentage of a family’s income.
For example, a family of four with combined income of $25,000 and annual drug costs of $1,000, will only have to pay $440 through family pharmacare coverage. ...more
Nova Scotians living without prescription drug coverage are being encouraged to enrol in a provincial plan at no cost.
Rodney MacDonald launched the family pharmacare program Monday.
Individuals and their families are invited to enrol in the universal drug plan with no premiums or fees.
The program will cap annual out-of-pocket costs for eligible drugs at a percentage of a family’s income.
For example, a family of four with combined income of $25,000 and annual drug costs of $1,000, will only have to pay $440 through family pharmacare coverage. ...more
Friday, February 22, 2008
Lessons to be learned from methadone controversy, says pharmacist
From the Cape Breton (NS) Post:
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Overdose victim’s dad calls for public inquiry
From the Halifax (NS) Chronicle Herald:
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Atlantic Canadians sue makers of OxyContin
From CTV News:
More Canadians who became addicted to OxyContin are taking the maker of the painkiller to court claiming the company undersold its addictive side effects.
A class-action lawsuit, claiming Purdue Pharma L.P. knew of OxyContin's addictiveness, is to be launched in Nova Scotia Supreme Court next week.
"I'd like to see the people that made it and made money off of it be held accountable for it," George Bellefontaine told CTV Newsnet. "Why should they get rich off of hurting people?"
Bellefontaine, who is joining the suit, said he became addicted to the drug when it was prescribed to him after a car accident four years ago. ...more
More Canadians who became addicted to OxyContin are taking the maker of the painkiller to court claiming the company undersold its addictive side effects.
A class-action lawsuit, claiming Purdue Pharma L.P. knew of OxyContin's addictiveness, is to be launched in Nova Scotia Supreme Court next week.
"I'd like to see the people that made it and made money off of it be held accountable for it," George Bellefontaine told CTV Newsnet. "Why should they get rich off of hurting people?"
Bellefontaine, who is joining the suit, said he became addicted to the drug when it was prescribed to him after a car accident four years ago. ...more
Saturday, July 14, 2007
N.S. approves funding for two more cancer drugs
From CTV News:
Nova Scotia will fund two additional cancer drugs - but Avastin is not one of them.
Health Minister Chris D'Entremont says Oxaliplatin, a drug that treats colorectal cancer, and Mab Campath, a drug that treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been added to the list.
The decision is based on recommendations by the province's Cancer Systemic Therapy Policy Committee, which includes oncologists, pharmacists and cancer survivors.
The committee feels Oxaliplatin can treat colorectal patients after surgery and prevent the disease from progressing. ...more
Nova Scotia will fund two additional cancer drugs - but Avastin is not one of them.
Health Minister Chris D'Entremont says Oxaliplatin, a drug that treats colorectal cancer, and Mab Campath, a drug that treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been added to the list.
The decision is based on recommendations by the province's Cancer Systemic Therapy Policy Committee, which includes oncologists, pharmacists and cancer survivors.
The committee feels Oxaliplatin can treat colorectal patients after surgery and prevent the disease from progressing. ...more
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Pharmacist from Dal part of intensive drug study
From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
A Dalhousie University pharmacist will be part of the first extensive study of whether public and private drug policies across Canada and internationally help or harm patients.
Neil MacKinnon, associate director of research at Dal’s college of pharmacy, is one of 13 people worldwide selected as 2007 Harkness Fellows.
The fellowship, administered by the United States’ Commonwealth Fund and the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, will allow him to work with experts from around the world to learn more about drug policy in other countries.
The first meeting of the group is in New York in September.
The process of determining what drugs are safe and effective and which of those will be covered by public and private insurers varies by country and province, said Mr. MacKinnon, a Bridgewater native. ...more
A Dalhousie University pharmacist will be part of the first extensive study of whether public and private drug policies across Canada and internationally help or harm patients.
Neil MacKinnon, associate director of research at Dal’s college of pharmacy, is one of 13 people worldwide selected as 2007 Harkness Fellows.
The fellowship, administered by the United States’ Commonwealth Fund and the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, will allow him to work with experts from around the world to learn more about drug policy in other countries.
The first meeting of the group is in New York in September.
The process of determining what drugs are safe and effective and which of those will be covered by public and private insurers varies by country and province, said Mr. MacKinnon, a Bridgewater native. ...more
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