BioVenture winner lands cash

From the Saskatoon Star Phoenix:
Steve Mamchur knows he has a great idea. But instead of developing it in one of Canada's big cities, he's determined to make his business plan come to life to build the bio-economy in Saskatchewan.

The pharmacist and current law student at the University of Saskatchewan has created a technique that uses hormone concentrates from natural plant sources in bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, a natural alternative to pharmaceutical-based hormone replacement.

Mamchur has also developed a less expensive and safer way of mixing the hormone concentrate with a topical cream in pharmacies, an invention that will allow the number of Canadian pharmacies able to mix these creams to grow from 400 to 7,500. He wants to base his company in his home province. ...more

Sanofi-aventis gets okay to market colorectal cancer drug

From the Globe and Mail:
A drug company has been given the green light by Health Canada to market the long-established colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin.

Now that Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. has received its notice of compliance, it alone holds the license to market the drug known by the trade name Eloxatin. The move means three other companies that sold versions of oxaliplatin at deep discount prices under Health Canada's special access program, will have to stop.

“Within the next 4 to 6 weeks we should be able to put [Eloxatin] in the market,” Joëlle Sissmann, vice-president of corporate affairs for Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc., said in a telephone interview from Montreal Monday.

“We got a call this morning that Sanofi had its notice of compliance and we were no longer allowed to sell our product,” Jennifer Wardrop, managing director of Sigmacon Lifesciences Inc., said in a telephone interview Monday. ...more

Labopharm's once-daily painkiller tramadol approved for sale in Canada

From CBC News:
Drug developer Labopharm Inc. (TSX:DDS) received some welcome relief of its own after Health Canada approved the sale of its once-daily painkiller tramadol despite ongoing concerns of U.S. regulators.

The health agency's therapeutic products directorate approved 100-milligram, 200-mg and 300-mg tablets of its formulation of tramadol for the management of moderate pain in adults who require treatment for several days or more, the Laval, Que.-based company said Monday.

"We're excited," Labopharm CEO James Howard-Tripp said in an interview.

"It's very positive for us. Canada is a smaller market than the U.S., but it's still a very important market. It's one of the G8, it's a very serious regulatory body, so it's nice to get approval from that perspective." ...more

Allocation of antivirals for flu pandemic workers stirs debate

From CBC News:
Public health officials across Canada are grappling with the medical and ethical issues of giving front-line health-care workers preventive antiviral drugs if a flu pandemic strikes.

The federal and provincial governments have stockpiled more than 500 million doses of antiviral drugs to prepare for a pandemic.

Under the current federal plan, the drugs may only be used to treat people once they are ill, a reversal of an original decision two years ago to stockpile antivirals as a preventive treatment or prophylaxis for front-line health-care workers as well. ...more

Public officials quick to seek private remedies: CMA president

From the Vancouver Sun:
Canada's top doctor singled out New Democrat leader Jack Layton Sunday for "hypocrisy" for undergoing hernia treatment at a private Toronto medical clinic.
But Dr. Brian Day, president-elect of the Canadian Medical Association, was quick to note Layton is in good company.

Former Prime Ministers Paul Martin, Jean Chretien and Joe Clark have also been treated at private medical clinics, Day told the annual meeting of the Canadian Science Writers' Association.

And he says union leader Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian Autoworkers, proved a master at "cue jumping" when he got in for an MRI within 24 hours of injuring his leg.

"Even I couldn't do that," said Day, the outspoken and media savvy orthopedic surgeon who takes over in August as president of the CMA, which represents 62,000 physicians across Canada. ...more

Cold remedies back on shelves

From the Owen Sound (Ont.) Sun Times::
People have Chesley grocer Peter Knipfel to thank, or to blame, for prompting a judge’s ruling permitting grocery and convenience stores to resume selling certain cold, allergy and sinus medicines that are also used to make crystal methamphetamine.

Since pseudoephedrine is an essential ingredient in the production the highly addictive street drug, sale of products containing it was restricted to pharmacies a year ago after the College of Pharmacists voiced concerns.

Knipfel said the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers took up his cause. His store, the Chesley Grocery Store, brought forward the request for a judge’s ruling.

A Superior Court justice ruled Thursday that pseudoephedrine, a common decongestant, is not a drug as defined under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act and so the College of Pharmacists’ notice restricting sales could be ignored. ...more

Obama touts Rx drug plan

I can't see importing pharmaceuticals from Canada being much of an issue in American 2008 election, but Barack Obama mentioned he's in favour of allowing the purchase of Canadian prescriptions.

From the Sauk Valley (Ill.) Newspaper:
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama speculated Saturday that his prescription drug plan could save seniors on Medicare $157 billion over the next decade.

The potential saving is proof that the nation needs to change the Medicare system, he said.

"There is no reason for this other than the fact it makes the drug companies more money," said Obama. 'It's wrong that Americans have to spend more for their prescriptions because drug companies can spend billions on lobbying."

The prescription drug plan pushed by Obama would allow Medicare officials to bargain for lower prescription drug prices, allow Americans to buy prescriptions from Canada and other developed countries where safe drugs are available and increase the use of generic drugs in public health programs like Medicare. ...more

Over-the-counter diet pill goes on sale in U.S.

I remember when Xenical, the prescription version of orlistat, was introduced in Canada. It was heavily hyped, but because of price, lack of noticeable benefits and bad side effects it mostly faded out of view. I suspect the OTC version will face the same fate. A few people will benefit from this treatment and lose some weight. However, the majority of patients will try it, and then realize that you really do have to cut your fat intake or else you get nasty bowel-related side effects. As soon as they realize it's not a magic pill or when they soil their pants, they'll stop using it. I doubt we'll see it in Canada anytime soon.

From CTV News:
Canadian health officials watched closely on Friday as Alli, the first over-the-counter diet pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, went on sale south of the border.

The drug, which reduces the amount of fat absorbed by the body after a meal by roughly 25 per cent, is available in Canada under a different name, but still requires a prescription.

"It's been around for quite a long time," Yoni Freedhoff of the Bariatric Medical Institute, an Ottawa-based weight loss centre, told CTV News.

"Studies show that people taking it for two years lose up to eight kilograms. But the way it works, of course, is by either delaying or blocking the absorption of fat in the gut. And the way it blocks it is, well, it comes out -- 'fast' is a good objective to use." ...more

Drug maker overstated sales by $5.6M

From the Toronto Star:
CV Technologies Inc. (TSX: CVQ), maker of the Cold-fx treatment for colds and the flu, said it overstated sales by $5.6 million in 2006 as it entered the U.S. market for the first time.

As a result, the company said its earned $3.5 million less than originally reported for that fiscal year.

The Edmonton-based company revealed the new figures late Thursday in an anticipated restatement of its earnings.

CV Technologies said it underestimated the amount of product returns after introducing Cold-fx to the U.S. in the fourth quarter of 2006 and "correspondingly overestimating revenue from product sales." ...more

Better Labels Urged for Sports Creams

I missed this story last week but I had to post it now as I find it a fascinating case. This is an article that every pharmacy should save and pull out when a patient comments that a topical cream can't possibly be harmful.

From the Washington Post:
Arielle Newman was a high school track star who suffered from the typical aches and pains that result from a grueling training regimen. For relief, she covered her legs with large amounts of muscle cream.

The 17-year-old died from an accidental overdose of methyl salicylate, the wintergreen-scented ingredient found in liniments like BenGay, Icy Hot and Tiger Balm, the New York City medical examiner's office said last week. The death was the first of its kind in the city, authorities said.

Experts said the death of Newman, a cross-country runner for Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, points to a need for clearer warnings about risks, especially because muscle creams have become a staple in locker rooms around the country. ...more

Health Canada: Keep medical pot consumption low

From CTV News:
Health Canada has been contacting doctors who prescribe medical marijuana for their government-approved patients, advising them to keep the dosages low.

Some users say that not only violates doctor-patient confidentiality, it's also wrong for bureaucrats to make judgments about the medical needs of people they've never seen.

"A person's medication should be between him and his doctor,'' said Tony Adams, 60, a medical marijuana user in Victoria.

"There shouldn't be some bureaucrat in Ottawa that's never met me. Everybody has different needs for medications.''

Adams, a licenced user who's been smoking seven grams of marijuana daily, recently applied to Health Canada to increase the dose to 10 grams, with his doctor's authorization. Official approval from Ottawa is needed so that Adam can legally grow the appropriate number of marijuana plants, set by Health Canada at five plants for each daily gram.

But a program official in Ottawa challenged Adams' doctor in a telephone call, saying most patients need no more than five grams. Adams, who has severe arthritis and degenerative disc disease, later received a new licence for just five grams a day. ...more

Ban on grocers selling pseudoephedrine overturned

This case could be a precedent that might affect which retailers can carry over the counter drugs. I would not want to see Canada end up like the United States when it comes to OTC products. In the States, it's essentially an all or nothing proposition: it's either prescription only or it can be sold anywhere.

From CTV News:
Ontario residents will once again be able to get cold and allergy medicine containing pseudoephedrine from local grocery and corner stores.

A controversial decision to make products containing the compound available only through a pharmacy was overturned by the Ontario Superior Court on Thursday.

The original decision was made last year to address concerns raised by the Ontario College of Pharmacists that medications containing pseudoephedrine were being used to make crystal meth. ...more

Layton calls for free prescription drugs

From CTV News:
Jack Layton is calling for universal prescription drug coverage for all Canadians, and he's making an appeal to Canada's business community to help out.

In a speech planned for Friday at Oakville's Chamber of Commerce, Layton says he has been approached by young families who tell him they have to choose between mortgage payments and prescription medication.

With provincial premiers and ordinary Canadians onside, Layton says his campaign will be unstoppable with the help of Canadian business. ...more

Sask. health-care workers announce strike mandate

It sounds like hospital pharmacists in Saskatchewan may soon be on strike.

From CBC News:
The union for 2,700 health-care professionals in Saskatchewan has been given a strike mandate by its members.

The Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan says money, recruitment and retention are the main issues.

"This has been an extremely discouraging round of provincial negotiations," said union president Chris Driol. "Until we decided to talk to our members about a strike vote the employer flatly refused to discuss our issues." ...more

New pharmacy for Welland

Ordinarily, I wouldn't post an article noting the construction of another pharmacy in Canada. However, I was intrigued by this one. Rexall is building a new location in Welland, Ontario. So what's unusual? How about this:

Management at the Rexall Clinic Pharmacy located at 515 King St., has not been told any details about the new store being built just a few hundred metres north.

Isn't this odd? I've heard talk that there has been some friction between some owners of Rexall franchises and their parent company. This article might support that rumour. Has anyone else heard about this?

From the Welland (Ont.) Tribune:
Rexall is bringing one of its new concept drug stores to the corner of King and Lincoln streets.

It was confirmed for The Tribune yesterday by Michelle Lee, media relations manager for Rexall parent company Katz Group Canada.

Until the store is closer to opening Lee said she could not comment any further at this time.

City planner Don Thorpe said a building permit was issued about two weeks ago. ...more

FDA Panel Rejects Sanofi Weight Loss Drug Acomplia

I'm the first to admit I expected big sales once Acomplia was approved. However, it seems somewhat unlikely it will ever make an appearance in the United States. I've not heard any news about it's approval status in Canada, but I suspect this won't help.

From CNN:
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration panel Wednesday unanimously rejected Acomplia, a weight-loss drug from Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY), on concerns the drug increases the number of psychiatric events like depression and suicidal thinking among users.

The panel's decision is a blow to the Paris-based drug maker, which was hoping it could sell Acomplia on the U.S. market. The FDA typically follows its panels' advice but isn't required to do so. The FDA is set to make a final decision on whether to approve Acomplia, known generically as rimonabant, by the end of July.

"It was quite obvious there was serious concerns about the safety profile of rimonabant," said Eric Colman, the FDA's metabolic and endocrine drug product deputy director, noting that the 14 voting members said additional safety information should be required before the FDA should consider approving the drug.

If rimonabant were to be approved in the U.S., the drug would likely be called Zimulti because the FDA rejected the brand name of Acomplia. But approval is unlikely anytime soon. The FDA has been under fire from Congress about its handling of various drug-safety issues, including recent concerns that GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK) diabetes drug Avandia raises heart-attack risks. ..more

Petition urges Nova Scotia to fund Avastin

From CBC News:
Presented with a 2,200-signature petition Wednesday, Health Minister Chris d'Entremont said "public opinion" would be a factor in his final decision whether to cover a costly cancer drug.

The petition calls on the province to pay for Avastin, a drug used to treat colorectal cancer.

"I was very happy to be able to hand it to him personally and he seemed very open to receiving it," said Denyse Hockley, who launched the petition last month in support of a woman battling the disease. ...more

New kidney cancer drug fast-tracked

From the Vancouver Province:
A new drug that significantly increases the survival time of kidney-cancer patients is being fast-tracked by Health Canada and is expected to be approved by July.

The world's highest kidney-cancer rates are in North America. Three years ago there were 4,000 cases in Canada, a figure that's skyrocketed to 5,500 today.

Smoking is the No. 1 cause, while the obesity epidemic with its concomitant kidney damage and an increase in pollution are also implicated. The five-year survival rate of a metastatic renal-cell carcinoma patient is five to 10 per cent.

The new drug, called Torisel, is injected intravenously and destroys the blood vessels which feed the cancerous cells. And the positive effect is achieved without harming nearby blood vessel functions. ...more

Consult doctor before boosting vitamin D intake, advises Cancer Society

I find this recommendation by the Canadian Cancer Society a bit weak. Consult your doctor before increasing your Vitamin D? Thousands of doctor visits sounds like an unnecessary expense when you consider your neighbourhood pharmacist should be able to answer these questions.

From the Canadian Press:
Canadians should consult with their doctors before rushing to their neighbourhood stores and pharmacies to snap vitamin D off of the shelves, a Canadian Cancer Society official said Tuesday.

The caveat was part of the organization's recommendation last week which advised adult Canadians to consider boosting their intake of the so-called sunshine vitamin in fall and winter by supplementing their diet with 1,000 international units.

"The reason the recommendation is for fall and winter is because of where we live in Canada, almost all Canadians are at risk of vitamin D deficiency during the fall and winter because we don't produce any vitamin D from exposure when you live as north as we do in Canada," said Heather Logan, director of cancer control policy at the Canadian Cancer Society. ...more

Anti-smoking bill calls for maximum $100,000 fine

From the Edmonton Journal:
Alberta's tough new anti-smoking legislation will slap fines of up to $100,000 on stores that visibly display or advertise the tobacco products they sell, or on any pharmacies, post-secondary campuses or health facilities that vend the cancer-causing product.

But the bill, which Health Minister Dave Hancock introduced Tuesday, did not specify when its tobacco-control measures will take effect. ...more

N.B. pharmacists could gain right to prescribe at counter

From CBC News:
Pharmacists in New Brunswick could soon be allowed to prescribe some medications without authorization from a doctor.

Last week Health Minister Mike Murphy indicated pharmacists could be given more professional responsibility, including the power to prescribe certain drugs.

Pharmacists at their annual meeting in Saint John over the weekend were excited about the possibility of additional powers to meet the health needs of their customers.

Saint John pharmacist Janet MacDonnell said it would make everyone's life easier if pharmacists could prescribe certain drugs. Some simple cases, such as insect bites requiring a prescribed ointment, could easily be handled at her counter. ...more

Pharmacist inks Internet drug deal

From the Vancouver Province:
A Surrey pharmacist has signed an exclusive deal with the Philippines government to sell prescription drugs in that nation on the Net.

Bob Rai is president of Pharma-Canada Inc., which he said signed the five-year deal in March and hopes to be operating early in August. "The federal government of the Philippines wants to reduce medication costs by about 50 per cent by the year 2010," Rai said yesterday.

He has business contacts in the Philippines after travelling there regularly for several years to facilitate his dealings in herbal medications and generic drugs. To reduce costs, government-run pharmacies have been set up to offer an alternative to the more expensive, private pharmacies. ...more

Nearly half of children in Crown care are medicated

From the Globe and Mail:
Psychotropic drugs are being prescribed to nearly half the Crown wards in a sample of Ontario children's aid societies, kindling fears that the agencies are overusing medication with the province's most vulnerable children.

According to government documents obtained by The Globe and Mail under Ontario's Freedom of Information Act, 47 per cent of the Crown wards – the children in permanent CAS care – at five randomly picked agencies were prescribed psychotropic drugs last year to treat depression, attention deficit disorder, anxiety and other mental-health problems. And, the wards are diagnosed and medicated far more often than are children in the general population. ...more

Association of Avastin (bevacizumab) with tracheo-esophageal fistula

From Health Canada:
Hoffmann-La Roche Limited, in consultation with Health Canada, has informed Canadian healthcare professionals of important new safety information concerning AVASTIN (bevacizumab).

Avastin is used in combination with a specific type of chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer of the bowel and rectum which has spread to other sites. Please note the following new safety information for the use of AVASTIN:
For Health Care Professionals
For the Public

Patients in life and death struggle pay for cancer drugs

From the Thunder Bay (Ont.) Chronicle Journal:
Three Northwestern Ontario patients with an incurable form of colon cancer have paid $35,000 each for a drug in a bid to extend their lives.

The drug, Avastin, was administered through the regional cancer program.

Two of the patients died after just five months.

The patients were from Thunder Bay, Kenora and Fort Frances, said Michael Power, vice-president of regional cancer services and diagnostics.

Power said cancer specialists at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre would be willing to administer Avastin if the patients order and pay for the drug, or have it paid for by private insurance plans. ...more

Colon cancer drug Avastin linked to esophagus problem

From CBC News:
An advisory has been issued after the colorectal cancer drug Avastin was linked to the development of a rare, potentially fatal problem with the esophagus.

Health Canada approved the use of Avastin or bevacizumab, in combination with other drugs, to extend the lives of people with colorectal cancer that has spread to other sites.

In an advisory Tuesday, the department said use of Avastin and other cancer treatments has been linked with the development of tracheo-esophageal fistulas — abnormal connections between the esophagus (the tube from the throat to stomach) and the trachea (the windpipe), which normally remain separate. ...more

Alternate medicine a taxing issue

From the National Post:
More and more Canadians are turning to various types of so-called alternative medicine for relief of health problems. But while such people may be willing to get involved in "leading-edge" treatment, like everybody else they want to get tax relief where possible for their medical expenses.

One of the first questions is whether dealing with somebody other than a traditional medical doctor will jeopardize potential claims. And while the Income Tax Act is national in scope, anomalies may crop up. ...more

GlaxoSmithKline makes Quebec the hub of its vaccine research and manufacturing

From the Montreal Gazette:
GlaxoSmithKline Plc, the world's second-biggest biopharma group, said yesterday Quebec will become the hub of its North American vaccine research and manufacturing operations, lifting the province's ambition to become a leader in life sciences.

GSK is investing $50 million of its own money to upgrade and expand its Laval vaccines research labs acquired along with a big Quebec City vaccines manufacturing plant in the $1.7-billion takeover of ID BioMedical in 2005.

"The Laval operation is being designated the North American HQ of our innovative vaccines division, the Belgium-based GSK Biologicals, and the administrative centre," said Paul Lucas, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline Canada, GSK's main Canadian arm based in Mississauga, Ont. ...more

Antibiotic use before first birthday linked to asthma later in childhood: study

From the Montreal Gazette:
Children treated with antibiotics in their first year of life appear to have a significantly higher risk of developing asthma compared with babies not given the drugs, a Canadian study suggests.

The study, published in the June issue of the journal Chest, found that the risk for asthma doubled in tots receiving antibiotics for non-respiratory infections, as well as for youngsters who received multiple antibiotic courses and who did not live with a family dog before their first birthday.

"Antibiotics are prescribed mostly for respiratory tract infections, yet respiratory symptoms can be a sign of future asthma," said lead author Anita Kozyrskyj of the University of Manitoba. "This may make it difficult to attribute antibiotic use to asthma development." ...more

Tory pledges health-care overhaul with online records

From the Globe and Mail:
Ontario Opposition Leader John Tory plans to dramatically overhaul the province's health-care system by providing every resident with an electronic record of their medical history by 2014 if the Progressive Conservatives win the election.

The creation of an online record-keeping system is at the centre of his party's health-care platform for the Oct. 10 provincial election.

Mr. Tory will release the campaign document at the Progressive Conservatives' convention in Toronto Saturday, which also includes a plan to give faith-based schools in Ontario the option of joining the public education system. ...more

Vitamin D selling out

From the Montreal Gazette:
Vitamin D pills are flying off the shelves, a random survey of local pharmacies indicates.

The rush follows publication of a new study indicating that high doses of Vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing some common cancers.

The Pharmaprix on Sherbrooke St. W. near Grey Ave. was cleared out of Vitamin D yesterday.
Pharmacist Ann Labreque also said she had three or four requests for information, which is a lot more than she would normally receive. ...more

Smoke habit hard for stores to break

The ban of tobacco sales in pharmacies in Alberta is imminent. We know that legislation will be enacted, but the effective date is not known yet. While it's quite evident how the change will affect smaller pharmacies that still stock cigarettes, it seemed a lot less clear to me regarding the big grocery stores with pharmacies. However, we seem to have an answer in this article:

As for the pharmacy rule, (Health Minister David) Hancock said Wednesday it will even apply to sprawling retailers like Costco and supermarkets that house both pharmacies and cigarette counters.

"They'll have to choose," he said.

That's a bold statement. I would expect that grocery stores with adjacent liquor stores could just move cigarettes into those locales, but that won't cover a significant percentage of these retailers. I have a hard time imagining that Costco, which sells an enormous amount of cigarettes which ultimately are sold by retailers, would be willing to give these sales up. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

From the Edmonton Journal:
The government's sweeping anti-tobacco legislation will hit retailers the hardest, forcing corner stores to hide their lucrative product and making even large grocery stores choose between their pharmacies and cigarette sales, Health Minister Dave Hancock said.

His Tobacco Reduction Act will be introduced next week. In addition to making all Alberta workplaces smoke-free, the bill would ban visible displays or advertisements of tobacco products in stores, and prohibit cigarette sales at any location selling prescription drugs. ...more

Vitamin D dramatically cuts cancer risk: researchers

From the National Post:
A simple vitamin to prevent cancer has finally been accepted by the mainstream.

Long after natural "cures" such as shark cartilage and laetrile from peach pits flopped comes the first study of its kind to show that vitamin D is a potent cancer stopper.

The Canadian Cancer Society has used that finding and others in deciding to recommend for the first time that adult Canadians lower their cancer risk by taking 1,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily - five times the current recommended daily amount for people under age 50. ...more

Drugs company cracks Parkinson's with cure

I've never heard of this drug before, but it sounds quite promising. It's probably a bit too simplistic to think it's the definitive cure for Parkinson's, but it does sound like it could be a breakthrough.

From the Cambridge (UK) Evening News:
A small drugs company at Godmanchester has come up with a cure for Parkinson's disease, which could also lead to a cure for Alzheimer's.

Phytopharm has been working for some years on reversing the devastating effects of these two killer diseases and announced last night that it had succeeded.

The drug, Cogane, works by stimulating naturally produced proteins that can regenerate neurons in the brain.

It will be five years, however, before the new drug passes all the regulatory tests and becomes generally available. ...more

Experts say early results from Avandia study not reassuring, despite Glaxo's claim

From the Canadian Press:
The maker of the controversial diabetes pill Avandia on Tuesday published preliminary results of a study that the company claims show the drug does not raise heart risks. However, experts say the results are inconclusive and even seem to suggest more risk from the drug.

More people on Avandia suffered heart problems than those on other diabetes drugs - a bad sign even if the difference was so small that it could have occurred by chance alone, some doctors said. ...more

More responsibility should mean more pay: pharmacist

This article really touches the bottom line when it comes to pharmacist prescribing: who is going to pay for it. If pharmacists are expected to go through extra training and take on extra responsibility, it's reasonable that they are reimbursed for this. However, it's unclear where the payment will come from.

In Alberta, the major drug plans will honour pharmacist-written prescriptions, but with the usual dispensing fee structure. Neither the drug plans or the provincial government will pay for the pharmacist's cognitive services. This lack of third party reimbursement will drive patients away from pharmacist prescribing for financial reasons alone.

From CBC News:
If New Brunswick pharmacists are required to take on some of the duties now performed by doctors, they'll expect to be compensated for it, warns Moncton pharmacist John Staples.

Health Minister Mike Murphy indicated on Monday that New Brunswick pharmacists will soon be given more professional responsibility, which could include the power to prescribe some medications.

"There seems to be a consensus that a larger role for pharmacists is needed. There's no question," Murphy said Tuesday. ...more

Health Canada expands Plavix approval

From the Toronto Star:
Pharmaceutical giants Sanofi-aventis of France and Bristol-Myers Squibb of the United States say Health Canada has given approval for the use of their blood-thinner Plavix to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death in patients with all acute coronary syndromes.

The approval is an expanded indication for Plavix, which offers protection from all types of heart attacks.

"This new indication is an important advance in the treatment of ACS (acute coronary syndrome) for patients with STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction) as myocardial infarction is a life-threatening condition," said Shamir Mehta, director of interventional cardiology at McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences. ...more

Smokers, vendors have summer to adjust

Alberta is planning on passing some tough new anti-smoking laws, including rules that would prevent sales of tobacco products in pharmacies. I'm curious to see how that will actually work in practice. Does this mean grocery stores with pharmacy departments will be prevented from selling cigarettes?

From the Edmonton Journal:
The provincial government signalled an end Thursday to Alberta's ranking as Canada's most smoker-friendly province, approving a provincewide ban on smoking in workplaces and other steps that would make Alberta one of the toughest anti-tobacco jurisdictions.

Conservative MLAs, a group that has long opposed cracking down on where smokers can light up, also decided to prohibit visible cigarette ads or displays in stores, and to ban sales of tobacco products in pharmacies, post-secondary schools or health facilities.

It's unclear when the plan will take effect, but it will also prohibit smoking near doorways and windows, to shield people from the toxins of second-hand smoke, Health Minister Dave Hancock said. ...more

Patients buy cancer drugs at new clinic

From the Ottawa Citizen:
A private clinic has opened in Ottawa, giving patients who can pay for them, cancer drugs not covered in Ontario.

The clinic, one of about 10 similar operations that have opened across Ontario since last fall, is part of a growing chain operated by Bayshore Home Health and "sponsored" by the pharmaceutical company Roche Canada.

Some of the federally approved drugs, administered intravenously, are already covered under health plans in other provinces. ...more

Layton asks for support on drug plan

From the Toronto Star:
NDP Leader Jack Layton is meeting with provincial premiers to drum up support for a national drug plan that would help Canadians cope with the cost of filling their prescriptions.

Layton says he's heard encouraging words already from Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams, whom he met last month, and from British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell. He plans to meet soon with Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert.

"We think it's time to move," Layton said. "We intend to persevere until we get the kind of coverage that all Canadians deserve." ...more

The battle over a cancer pill

From the Globe and Mail:
British businessman Peter Sartorius has devised his own treatment regime for prostate cancer. Every day, he drinks a salty cocktail, a mixture of water and an experimental drug called DCA he orders over the Internet.

Jim, a retired handyman in Louisiana, has lung cancer, and has been told that he has only a few months left to live. He swallows homemade capsules filled with DCA that his son, Jason, puts together.

Both men started self-medicating this spring after University of Alberta researchers announced that DCA (dichloroacetate) dramatically shrank tumours in rats without damaging healthy cells. But the Edmonton team was having trouble finding money to see if DCA works in humans. ...more

Tubercular man apologizes to flyers

From the Calgary Sun:
The Atlanta lawyer quarantined with a dangerous strain of tuberculosis apologized to fellow-airline passengers yesterday.

He insisted he was told before he set out for his wedding in Europe he was no danger to anyone.

"I've lived in this state of constant fear and anxiety and exhaustion for a week now, and to think that someone else is now feeling that, I wouldn't want anyone to feel that way. It's awful," Andrew Speaker said. ...more

More kids prescribed Ritalin after divorce

From MSNBC:
Children from broken marriages are twice as likely to be prescribed attention-deficit drugs as children whose parents stay together, a Canadian researcher said on Monday, and she said the reasons should be investigated.

More than 6 percent of 633 children from divorced families were prescribed Ritalin, compared with 3.3 percent of children whose parents stayed together, University of Alberta professor Lisa Strohschein reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The study of more than 4,700 children started in 1994, while all the families were intact, Strohschein said. They followed the children’s progress to see what happened to their families and to see what drugs were prescribed. ...more

Jean Coutu closes deal to sell U.S. pharmacies

From the Toronto Star:
Jean Coutu Group (TSX: PJC.A) officially announced Monday that it had closed a US$3.9 billion deal to sell U.S. Brooks and Eckerd pharmacies and distribution centres to Rite Aid.

The Quebec-based company received US$2.36 billion in cash and 250 million shares of Rite Aid common stock that provide about 32 per cent common equity interest in the U.S. giant.

"The completion of this transaction is a transformational event for the shareholders of The Jean Coutu Group," pharmacy chairman Jean Coutu said in a news release. ...more

Drugs used for dementia raise death risk: Study

From the Toronto Star:
Older adults who suffer dementia and are given antipsychotic drugs have a slightly higher risk of death than those who aren't prescribed these medications, a large Canadian study suggests.

And the older variety of antipsychotics – known as conventional agents – seems to be associated with a higher risk of death than newer atypical antipsychotics, researchers said in the study of Ontario patients, published Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The study builds on previous research that led to warnings in the spring of 2005 from Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on atypical antipsychotics and dementia. ...more

Drug offers promise in treating advanced breast cancer: Cdn. drugmaker

From the Canadian Press:
A Canadian pharmaceutical company is touting the benefits of a drug to treat advanced breast cancer.

Results of two studies have been released at a cancer conference in Chicago on the effectiveness of Tykerb, made by Mississauga, Ont.-based GlaxoSmithKline.

Tykerb tablets are meant to be a once-daily oral treatment for women with HER-2 positive breast cancer.

They claim Tykerb reduced brain tumour volume in some women whose breast cancer had spread, and, when used in combination with another drug, paclitaxel, can improve progression-free survival times for women with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer. ...more

Pharmacists can have impact after surgery, say researchers

From News @UofT:
A new study by researchers from the Toronto General Hospital (TGH), University Health Network (UHN) and the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy has shown that including pharmacists as part of multidisciplinary teams in surgical pre-admission clinics can result in a 50 per cent decrease in medication discrepancies for patients after surgery.

The study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine May 28, is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a pharmacist intervention in a pre-admission clinic. Previous studies have shown that from the moment a patient is admitted to hospital to when they are discharged, there are several vulnerable moments for medication information discrepancies, which can escalate into medication errors and adverse drug events. ...more

Deaths linked to diabetes drug?

From the Winnipeg Free Press:
Health Canada says the deaths of several Canadians could be linked to the popular Type 2 diabetes drug Avandia, the Free Press has learned.

Last week, a report in the New England Journal of Medicine linked Avandia to a greater chance of heart attack and possibly death.

Initially, Health Canada told the media that 28 Canadians who were taking Avandia suffered heart attacks since 2000. They didn't say if any of the heart attacks were fatal.

But after the Free Press looked into Health Canada's adverse-reaction database, spokeswoman Renee Bergeron confirmed 19 people have died from heart attacks or heart failure while taking Avandia. ...more

Pharmacist urges Avandia users to keep using it

From the Peterborough (Ont.) Examiner:
Avandia — a Type 2 diabetes drug that's been possibly linked to six Canadian deaths — is still "excellent" for diabetics as long as they don't have heart conditions such as congestive heart failure, a pharmacist says.

Murad Younis, of Westmount Pharmacy on Charlotte Street, says he worries all diabetics will be scared off the daily tablets after the U.S. issued a safety alert last week.

The alert was in response to a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study linking the drug to a greater risk of heart attack.

Avandia got more bad press when Health Canada reported Wednesday a preliminary review indicates the drug could be linked to the deaths of six people who died from heart attacks or heart failures. ...more

When drug-resistant tuberculosis goes extreme

From the Globe and Mail:
Until recently, researchers thought that multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, or MDR TB, was as bad as the disease got.

They were wrong.

In 2005, doctors in South Africa discovered a new strain of the disease. Extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis - or XDR TB - was found to withstand all of the front-line drugs in the tuberculosis treatment arsenal.

Officials in Canada and the United States are searching for passengers who may have travelled with a U.S. man infected with XDR TB on two transatlantic flights this month. ...more

No prescription needed for contraceptive pill

From the Vancouver Sun:
The B.C. College of pharmacists is now offering women the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B as a non-prescription product.

The move comes two years after Health Canada approved the sale of the pill without a prescription. ...more

Authorities hunt 70-80 passengers who sat near TB patient on flights

This is a rather disturbing story. While it seems unlikely anyone was infected, I know I wouldn't want to have been sitting next to this person on a flight.

From the Globe and Mail:
Public health officials in the United States and Canada revealed Wednesday they are looking for roughly 70 to 80 people on two recent transatlantic flights who were seated in close proximity to a man infected with a rare and potentially deadly form of tuberculosis.

In Canada, officials are seeking anyone who sat in Row 12 — plus the two rows ahead and behind — of Czech Airline flight 0104 to Montreal from Prague on May 24.

Officials of the Public Health Agency of Canada have obtained the passenger manifest — the airline's official list of passengers — and are using it to try to trace the passengers to urge them to undergo testing for TB. ...more

Pharmaceutical companies behind push for Ottawa to pay for HIV drugs

It's about time that someone revealed that these patient advocacy groups are totally funded and supported by the pharmaceutical companies. While I think patient groups should be allowed to be formed and pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to sponsor them, there needs to be some transparency.

If any other lobbying group in Canada was 100% funded by one sponsor, they probably wouldn't have a lot of legitimacy. But the Best Medicines Coalition has testified in front of the House of Commons, with a supposed role of being a solely a patient advocacy group. The chairwoman of this group was very ambigious and misleading in describing their funding sources.

During her visit to Parliament earlier this month, Fletcher asked Binder some pointed questions about her group's funding and potential conflict of interest. She told the committee her group receives half its funding from the drug industry and half from Health Canada. Binder said she couldn't name which companies provided money, and said some of it comes from Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, an industry association

But during an interview, Binder said the group actually receives 100 per cent of its $250,000 operating budget from the pharmaceutical industry. Although it received half its funding from Health Canada last year, it was an anomaly, in the form of a grant for a research project.

But the articles ends with this:

The Best Medicines Coalition has nothing to hide, Binder said. She said she doesn't conceal where the group gets its money and would even post that information on the group's website if she thought it were "relevant."

But for now, she said, "I don't think it is."

Excuse me, Louise, but you hid the truth in front of a Parliament committee hearing. If you mean what you say, let's see a complete list of donors over the last several years.

From Canada.com:
Louise Binder is HIV-positive and chairwoman of a coalition that fights for drug-policy reform in Canada. During a recent visit to the nation's capital she urged members of Parliament to rewrite the rules governing prescription drugs that would increase the access patients have to new, expensive medications and require the government to foot the bill.

One thing she didn't mention during that visit is the fact her association, the Best Medicines Coalition, receives 100 per cent of its funding from Canada's pharmaceutical companies - the very industry that stands to profit most from a governmental decision to approve new and expensive drugs for use and coverage in Canada. ...more

Pricing pinches drugstores

From the Globe and Mail:
Uncertainty lingers about whether generic drug pricing changes in Ontario will hurt Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., but already some rivals are feeling the pain.

Loblaw Cos. Ltd., which has a wide network of pharmacies in its supermarkets, has reported a $10-million hit to its first-quarter operating profit because of the legislative reforms, which lower the price the province pays for generic drugs. Other pharmacies in Ontario are being pinched.

"It has hurt pharmacy tremendously," says Neil Bornstein, owner of a drugstore in Toronto that is part of Langley, B.C.-based Pharmasave Drugs (National) Ltd. "The waters are more muddied than ever ... I can't understand how Loblaw can identify it as a significant hurt and Shoppers not." ...more

Cardiac Safety of Avandia® (rosiglitazone maleate)

From Health Canada:
GlaxoSmithKline Inc (GSK), in conjunction with Health Canada, would like to address public concerns about the safety of Avandia®.

An article recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has raised concern about an increased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and cardiovascular death in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with Avandia®. This article was based on a review of 42 clinical studies. The conclusions reached require confirmation. Further investigation of these results is underway and more information will be communicated when available.
For the public

Sickest patients less likely to get full care

From CTV News:
Two new studies by Canadian researchers suggest that patients in greatest need of heart medications and treatments are often less likely than moderately ill patients to be offered them, and it may because of what's known as the "treatment-risk paradox."

One of the studies, by researchers at universities in Edmonton and Calgary, showed that only 56 per cent of higher risk patients were taking statin drugs a month after being diagnosed with heart disease. In contrast, 63.5 per cent of lower risk patients were taking the drugs a month later.

After analyzing differences between the groups, the researchers found that patients who were depressed or whose lives were most restricted by their heart disease accounted for the difference. ...more

Drug use climbing

From the Sarnia (Ont.) Observer:
Prescription drug addiction can happen to anybody.

Without the proper information and monitoring, it is very easy for someone to become dependent on medications such as opiates, benzodiazepines and stimulants, Luis Viana said.

The pharmacist consultant told those gathered for the annual Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers appreciation luncheon that addiction to prescription medication is a growing problem. ...more

Canadian drug imports shrink in half from 2004

From the Detroit News:
The once-booming business of selling Canadian prescription drugs to Americans has shrunk in half since 2004-05 as the surging Canadian dollar and better U.S. government health insurance erode the price gap.

Annual sales have slipped below $500 million Canadian, down from nearly $1 billion Canadian in 2004, according to figures supplied by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, which represents Internet and mail-order drugstores.

The figures include sales of drugs to Americans from third countries, mainly in Europe, but brokered by Canadian pharmacies. ...more

Cancer drug Avastin battleground in debate over fairness versus costs

I suspect that someone is eventually going to take this type of inequality to court as a Charter of Rights challenge. I'd suspect that the court would rule it's a breach of Charter rights, and would that result in a chaotic aftermath in the health care system.

While a ruling like that would appear to be a victory for patients, I think it would financially break the provincial systems, and that would bring in more of a private element into the system. Ironically, this would the opposite result that the plantiff would be looking for.

From the Canadian Press:
Two middle-aged women living on opposite sides of the country, both battling the spread of colorectal cancer, believe a medicine called Avastin separates their fates.

Ruth Tremblay of Vancouver says she's now "cancer free" because the drug is part of her treatment.

Halifax resident Judee Young wonders if her life will be cut short because her provincial government has declared the same medicine, at roughly $35,000 a year, too expensive to provide.

Young, 47, the married mother of an eight-year-old, calls the contrasts "crazy."

"It's a question of whether my health is not as important as someone else's health. I've been a taxpayer for 25 years and the time comes I need help from my government, and I can't get it."

Tremblay, 48, married and living on a yacht with four step children, said she always thought there was an equality of health care in Canada.

"What I've discovered is it's divided down by province on who gets what." ...more

Doctors too slow to embrace electronic health records

I'm glad to see this issue getting attention. I think it's embarrassing that Canada is so far behind when it comes to using electronic record keeping when it comes to medical records.

From CBC News:
Patients would be better cared for if Canadian hospitals and doctors' offices would stop relying on paper charts and begin using electronic health records, health policy experts say.

Computers can improve patient care, for example, by helping to prevent drug interactions, said Charlyn Black, head of the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research at the University of British Columbia.

It can "make sure patients are receiving refills, that they don't forget to take medications, that they get reminders for important preventive care," said Black. ...more

Shoppers has competitive advantage in Ontario: Analyst

From the Financial Post:
Analyst Keith Howlett of Desjardins Securities has reconsidered his position on Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., (SC/TSX) saying the retailer might have a competitive advantage over others despite recent changes to drug policy in Ontario.

The analyst has upgraded his rating on the stock to "hold" from "sell" with an unchanged target of $50.

“Given recent share price weakness, management’s steadfast confidence in the outlook for the business and our possible identification of the company’s competitive advantage in dealing with drug policy changes in Ontario, we are upgrading our rating,” Mr. Howlett wrote in a note to clients. ...more

Trade gambit doubles cost of cancer medicine

From the Globe and Mail:
A chemotherapy medicine that sells for $500 a vial is about to be marketed for double that amount due to changes in Canada's intellectual property rules that, unwittingly, will leave one pharmaceutical company with a monopoly on a long-established cancer drug.

The regulation changes will give Sanofi-aventis Canada eight years of market exclusivity over the colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin as soon as the firm receives its licence from Health Canada to sell it - expected as early as next month.

That means that three other companies will have to stop selling versions of oxaliplatin to cancer centres, hospitals and patients at deep discounts. ...more

Pharmacist wins compensation

From the Vancouver Sun:
In a landmark decision, the Interior Health Authority has been ordered to pay compensation to a former pharmacist who alleged he was discriminated against because he was a recovering drug addict.

Mark Brady filed the complaint to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal in 2003 when he was turned down for a pharmacy job at Kelowna General Hospital after he divulged his painkiller addiction history.

He also told former hospital pharmacy manager Gary Inaba and Interior Health that he was continuing in drug treatment programs. ...more

Vioxx, Avandia, what next?

From the Associated Press:
How does a drug go from blockbuster to bust?

How can big safety issues go undetected in medicines taken by millions of people for many years, as happened this week with the diabetes pill Avandia and a few years ago with the painkiller Vioxx?

Or with devices like drug-coated stents, which came under a cloud last year after six million heart patients had already received them?

All roads - and fingers this week - point to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. From a company's labs to a consumer's lips, the chronically understaffed federal agency has the power and duty to keep dangerous products from harming the public. ...more

Stronger warnings urged for herbal hot-flash remedy

From Canada.com:
Health Canada is being urged to issue stronger safety warnings about the potentially dangerous side-effects of a popular herbal remedy that’s predominantly marketed to menopausal women after reports that it could be linked to liver damage.

Black cohosh is purported to ease hot flashes and other symptoms associated with menopause, but has also been linked to liver problems in Canada and around the world, including a recent death in the United States.

Health Canada announced last summer it would review the safety of black cohosh after reports of problems associated with it. At the same time, the department issued a public advisory warning about the possible link to liver damage. ...more

Diabetes drug linked to heart attacks

From the Toronto Star:
The widely prescribed diabetes drug Avandia is linked to a greater risk of heart attack and possibly death, a new scientific analysis revealed, prompting the U.S. government to issue a safety alert yesterday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration urged diabetics taking the pill to talk to their doctors, but stopped short of forcing a sharper warning label on the drug sold by GlaxoSmithKline PLC of London.

More than six million people worldwide have taken the drug since it came on the market eight years ago. Pooled results of dozens of studies revealed a 43 per cent higher risk of heart attack, according to the review published by the New England Journal of Medicine. ...more

Health Canada faces huge backlog in the licensing of natural health products

From the Toronto Star:
An estimated 20 per cent of Canadians regularly use natural remedies because they believe they are safer than man-made pharmaceuticals, according to David Bailey, a clinical pharmacologist at the University of Western Ontario.

"That is simply not true," he says. "Many of our most potent medications and toxic substances are derived from plants."

Health Canada tries to keep up with new products through its Natural Health Products Directorate. Products that meet the agency's criteria for safety, efficacy and quality get a licence and an eight-digit Natural Product Number. All 50,000 natural health products for sale in Canada must have an NPN by 2010. ...more

Rapid spread of disease alarms experts

From the Globe and Mail:
The public-health world has been alarmed since the early 1990s about what's called multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis.

Drug resistance emerges when people are prescribed the wrong drugs or do not complete a course of treatment, which allows for the natural selection of bacteria that are resistant to the drugs.

MDR is found all over the world, with the fastest growth in cases in China and Russia. It is curable in about half of cases, but patients must take highly toxic drugs for as long as two years to get rid of it. (The other half of people die of the disease within a few years.) ...more

Experts scorn 'natural' products

From the Toronto Star:
It's a billion-dollar industry that uses photos of svelte bodies and flashy fat-busting claims to peddle its products:

"Lose 30 pounds in 8 weeks!"

"Pound-for-Pound, The Most Powerful Weight-Loss Formula on Earth!"

"Lose 10.65 pounds fast!"

And it works: Thousands of overweight and obese Canadians are lured to store shelves and strip malls by these promises of perfection. ...more

Province to cover new AIDS drug

From the Toronto Sun:
Brian Finch is thrilled the Ontario government is now reimbursing AIDS patients for a new drug that has kept his viral load of the disease undetectable for the first time in 10 years.

The Toronto man had run out of options for battling his HIV until Health Canada approved Prezista last year, a drug now listed on the Ontario Drug Benefit Formulary. ...more

Med money turnaround

From the Ottawa Sun:
For the first time in more than a decade, Ontario is the only province in the country expected to see a decline in prescription drug spending over the next few years.

That's the conclusion of a new report released by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

Ontario's situation is part of a greater trend: A projected slowdown in national drug spending. Last year, national spending was projected to rise 6.9%, down from an average increase of 11.2% between 1997 and 2004. ...more

Recent reports of black particles after reconstitution of Myozyme

From Health Canada:
Genzyme has received isolated complaints pertaining to an observation of black gelatinous particles after reconstitution of 50 mg vials of Myozyme® (alglucosidase alfa). Working in close consultation with relevant regulatory authorities, Genzyme immediately initiated an investigation and discovered that when certain types of needles are used to penetrate the rubber stopper on Myozyme vials, black gelatinous particles may appear in the product, on the stopper or on the needle. Although we have not received similar complaints with Genzyme's other products, we are writing to alert our customers to the potential that such particles might appear and to provide current advice and recommendations. ...more

$21B spent on drugs in Canada in 2006: report

From CBC News:
Spending on prescribed drugs in Canada reached an estimated $21.1 billion in 2006, up $1.4 billion from the previous year, although spending seems to be slowing, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information's annual report, Drug Expenditure in Canada, highlights trends in public and private spending on both prescribed and non-prescribed drugs from 1985 to 2006.

Prescribed drugs have been one of the fastest-growing components of total health spending over the past two decades and continue to outpace most other health sectors, including spending on hospitals," said Michael Hunt, manager of pharmaceutical programs at the institute. ...more

Recall of two Valproic acid drugs, Depakene 500 mg and Ratio-Valproic 500 mg

From Health Canada:
Health Canada is warning patients taking the anti-epilepsy medications Depakene 500 mg and ratio-VALPROIC 500 mg that they may not be getting the full dose of the active drug, which could result in inadequate treatment of their seizures. These products are being recalled and patients using Depakene 500 mg and ratio-VALPROIC ECC 500 mg (valproic acid) are advised to contact their physician or pharmacist immediately to obtain another suitable product. Patients should not discontinue their medication before consulting their health care provider.
For the Public

Use of IRESSA® in patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN) failed to prolong survival and increased bleeding events

From Health Canada:
AstraZeneca Canada Inc., in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform all patients in the IRESSA Patient Registry (IPR) Program of new information from a clinical trial on the use of IRESSA in patients who have head and neck cancer. It should be noted that head and neck cancer is not an approved use for IRESSA, but patients with this diagnosis may be participating in the IPR Program if benefiting from therapy.
For the Public

To market a drug

From the Vancouver Sun:
When Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced $300 million in federal money for a program to vaccinate girls and young women against the human papilloma virus, it was hailed as the most important development in women's reproductive health since the pill.

This vaccine promises to tackle more than the warts caused by certain strains of HPV. It is billed as the first anti-cancer vaccine designed to prevent the vast majority of cervical cancer cases.

But it's too early to tell whether this is just a victory for women's health or also the triumph of an aggressive, multimillion-dollar marketing campaign that has infiltrated our living rooms and the political backrooms. Probably it's both. ...more

Canada stays out of Afghan opium poppy harvest

This barely qualifies as a Canadian pharmacy story, but I thought I'd include it anyway. Why aren't coalition forces governments working with pharmaceutical companies to buy the opium produced in Afganistan? I would think that this would be really helpful to get the average farmer behind the coalition and against the Taliban. The drug companies need raw material to produce narcotics anyway. I'd even be in favour of giving them a tax break or some kind of incentive to buy these poppies.

From CTV News:
Afghanistan is on the verge of harvesting its latest record opium crop, and Canadian troops are staying out of the way.

"We have nothing to do with poppy eradication. We stay away from it as far as we can," Maj. Steve Graham of the Royal Canadian Dragoons told CTV News.

The plan is to attack the insurgency first and leave the battle against drugs for another day. ...more

Experimental drug is Ian's only hope

From the Hamilton Spectator:
Hope was the last thing Ian MacPherson expected.

Pompe Disease was marching through his body on schedule, disabling his muscles and lungs. There was nothing doctors could do to stop it.

"I didn't expect any treatment in my lifetime," he said.

But then his parents discovered Myozyme on the Internet. The drug was so new it was still being tested in rabbits. Desperate, they requested it anyway. They were denied. It was too experimental and expensive. ...more

Cancer patients protest cost of medication

From CTV News:
A group of cancer patients angry over the massive out-of-pocket expenses they pay for unfunded treatments stood up and turned their backs on Health Minister George Smitherman on Saturday as he spoke about his government's commitment to medicare.

About 25 protesters wore shirts bearing the slogans "Cancer patients need a credit card'' and "Where did medicare go?'' at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new home for patients with terminal illnesses at Toronto's Trillium Health Centre.

Protest organizer Roman Gawur said Ontario ranks ninth out of ten provinces for the amount of funding it puts toward cancer drugs. ...more

Court fines OxyContin maker $634M US

From CBC News:
The maker of the narcotic painkiller OxyContin and three executives pleaded guilty Thursday to making false claims about the drug's risk of addiction, a U.S. federal prosecutor and the company said.

Purdue Pharma L.P pleaded guilty in a Virginia court to felony misbranding of OxyContin with the intent to defraud. The company's president, chief lawyer and former chief medical officer also pleaded guilty to charges of misbranding – a crime of mislabelling, fraudulently promoting or marketing a drug for an unapproved use.

"With its OxyContin, Purdue unleashed a highly abusable, addictive and potentially dangerous drug on an unsuspecting and unknowing public," U.S. Attorney John Brownlee said in a release. ...more

Association between Long-Term Treatment with ACTOS® (pioglitazone hydrochloride) Tablets for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Fractures in Women

From Health Canada:
Eli Lilly Canada, after consultation with Health Canada, would like to bring to your attention important safety information concerning ACTOS® (pioglitazone hydrochloride) tablets, used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the occurrence of bone fractures in female patients.
For health professionals
For the public

Sinus drug linked to liver damage, skin peeling

From the Vancouver Sun:
Somewhere near Quebec City lives a young mother who spent four weeks in a burn unit last year after a suspected drug reaction covered her body with burn-like red blisters and peeled off her skin from head to thigh.

The woman had been prescribed the antibiotic Ketek for a simple sinus infection.

But the 26-year-old developed toxic epidermal necrolysis, an extremely rare drug reaction where people essentially shed the outer protective layer of their skin. ...more

Drug import limits stand

From the Birmingham (AL) News:
The Senate voted on Monday to preserve current restrictions on the importation of lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada and other countries, fearing that such imports could pose risks to consumers, even with new safeguards.

By a vote of 49 to 40, the Senate approved a measure saying that imports will not be allowed unless the secretary of health and human services first certifies that they "pose no additional risk to the public's health and safety," and that they will significantly reduce costs to consumers. Alabama's Republican Sens. Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions voted against the measure.

Consumer advocates have long favored such imports as a way to make medicines more affordable. But health officials in the Clinton and Bush administrations have blocked such efforts, saying they cannot guarantee the safety of imported medicines. ...more

Poor prognosis prompts action

From the Financial Post:
Canada is facing a critical shortage of health care professionals as Baby Boomers retire and too few graduates are emerging from medical schools to care for the ageing population.

While all health care provider roles stand to be affected, the number of nurses in particular is falling rapidly. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) projects by 2011, the nation will be in need of 78,000 nurses; if no action is taken, the system will be down 113,000 nurses by 2016.

The prognosis has prompted organizations representing medical professionals to band together in an effort to boost education and recruits. ...more

Fatal chemo overdose prompts Alberta reforms

From CBC News:
An investigation into a fatal chemotherapy overdose has led Alberta to revise procedures for the administration of some cancer drugs.

On Tuesday, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada released its independent report on the death of 43-year-old Denise Melanson last summer at Edmonton's Cross Cancer Institute.

Denise Melanson, 43, died last summer at Edmonton's Cross Cancer Institute.
A pump was supposed to deliver fluorouracil, a drug used to treat tumours, over four days, but it was given to Melanson over four hours, along with another chemotherapy drug, cisplatin. ...more

U.S. Senate guts latest attempt to legalize bulk drug imports from Canada

From the Canadian Press:
The U.S. Senate gutted the latest attempt Monday to legalize prescription drug imports from Canada and other countries.

Despite a lot of support for the plan from both Democrats and Republicans, senators ultimately decided to require that the Food and Drug Administration first certify the imports are safe and effective.

Federal officials have said for years they can’t do it. So the requirement, passed on a 49-40 vote, effectively quashed the imports effort.

Even if the bid for expanding the drug trade had made it through without any caveats, the administration said it would have recommended a veto from President George W. Bush. ...more

Drugs produced dramatic change in HIV patient

I have been able to see the use of these two new Tibotec drugs in action. Both look to be quite promising. TMC125 is most notable in that it's a new non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). We haven't seen a new drug in this class in some time. Its resistance profile is quite good as well. Typically, if the HIV virus is resistant to one of the existing NNRTI's, the virus is resistant to all drugs in this class. TMC125 appears to be effective in these resistant patients.

One addtional bit of info not included in this article: TMC125 has been given the generic name of etravirine. I have not heard of a suggested brand name yet.

From the Vancouver Sun:
The human immunodeficiency virus could have killed Vancouver artist Tiko Kerr 20 years ago, just as it claimed so many other promising lives.

Instead, his successful battle to live is now propelling him on a whirlwind world tour, talking to drug researchers, doctors and scientists about his story of survival and the two controversial AIDS drugs that helped him beat the odds.

"I've really come to the conclusion that the worse you have to go through, the greater the reward," Kerr says of his dramatic change in fortune.

The tour began in December, when Kerr, just shy of the one-year anniversary of his initial treatment with TMC114 and TMC125 as part of a small clinical trial at St. Paul's Hospital, travelled to New Jersey where he was invited to speak at the corporate headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, and its subsidiary, Tibotec, which developed the two drugs. ...more

Agency decisions threaten cancer patient health: doc

From the Edmonton Sun:
An Edmonton doctor says the health of Canadian cancer patients is being threatened by a government-appointed agency that makes decisions on provincial drug funding.

The Common Drug Review (CDR) is using a decision-making process that is flawed, said Dr. Scott North, a medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute.

North explained that the CDR recently reviewed two new drugs for the treatment of kidney cancer.

One of the drugs, Nexavar, was found to be especially effective halfway through one recent clinical trial, North said. ...more

New drug drastically reduces fractures, research shows

From the Globe and Mail:
A drug that needs to be injected only once a year can sharply reduce fractures in women suffering from the bone-weakening disease osteoporosis, according to a new study.

Annual treatment with zoledronic acid produced impressive results in a large clinical trial, including:

A 70-per-cent reduction in spine fractures;

A 41-per-cent drop in broken hips;

A 25-per-cent reduction in other fractures, such as broken wrists.

On the downside, the drug appears to increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that greatly increases the risk of stroke. ...more

Bid to allow drug imports advances - Los Angeles Times

From the Los Angeles Times:
The Senate, giving a boost to a measure long favored by congressional Democrats, opened the door Thursday to letting American consumers save money on prescription medicines by ordering them from Canada and other developed countries where prices are lower.

But the move could have an unintended side effect — derailing a long-awaited, bipartisan effort to improve the Food and Drug Administration's faltering system for protecting patients from potentially dangerous medications. The reform plan includes increased funding for drug safety and the creation of a nationwide computer surveillance system designed to spot problems with medications.

The proposed improvements were developed in response to highly publicized safety lapses, including the belated withdrawal of the diabetes drug Rezulin and the painkiller Vioxx. ...more

Edmonton pharmacy billionaire steps up with surprise offer of $145 million for Oilers

From the National Post:
Edmonton drugstore billionaire Daryl Katz, the reclusive owner of the 1,800-store Katz Group pharmacy empire, has launched a surprise $145-million bid to acquire the Edmonton Oilers.

The all-cash offer by Katz, 45, an Edmonton native and University of Alberta law school grad whom Forbes magazine now ranks among the world's richest men, was made to the 37-member Edmonton Oilers ownership group earlier this week.

Under terms of the offer, disclosed to The Journal late Friday by a source familiar with information shared at the meeting, the Oilers would remain in Edmonton. ...more

Man who robbed pharmacy jailed 3 1/2 years

From the Sault (Ont.) Star:
Police caught up with an Alberta man wanted for a robbery at a Sault Ste. Marie pharmacy when his stolen car ran out of gas north of the city.

Jody Berge was arrested south of Wawa on April 16, about two hours after he robbed the Great Northern Road Medicine Shoppe of $350 worth of drugs.

Berge, 33, of Lethbridge, pleaded guilty Friday to robbery in a Sault court for stealing morphine and other drugs while using threats of violence. ...more

Shoppers boss unfazed by drug laws

From the Globe and Mail:
The new chief executive officer at Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., who must contend with new drug laws, insists that an aging and more health-conscious population creates huge business opportunities for everything from prescriptions to organic foods and premium skin-care products.

Jurgen Schreiber, at his first Shoppers annual meeting, dismissed "rumours" that new generic drug pricing laws, which came into full effect on April 1 and reduce the amount Ontario will pay for generics, could put a damper on Shoppers' stellar financial performance. ...more

Ont. cancer patients say having to pay for drugs violates Canada Health Act

There are a couple of comments at the end of this article that intrigue me.

"(Patients) are paying a hospital for injections of a medically necessary drug, and from their perspective that's a violation of the Canada Health Act."

Perhaps there will be a day in the not-too-distant future where someone will take a hospital and their provincial government to court over this issue. The impact of such a ruling could be huge. Agreement by the court could essentially bankrupt the health care system. I think eventually we are going to hit a point where people will want their government to do more for them than put virtually every tax dollar accumulated into health care and it still isn't enough. Denial by the court could open the door for more private plan involvement in the system.

From the Canadian Press:
There's no public or private health insurance plan in the country that could afford to pay for all of the latest cancer drugs, Ontario's health minister said Wednesday amid criticism from patients paying for expensive drugs not covered by the province.

Ontario has more than doubled spending on new cancer drugs, but it would be impossible to cover every new medication that's developed, Health Minister George Smitherman said, describing the province's medication approval system as the best in the country.

"In a world where there will be a new product available every day - which sometimes is offering very, very modest enhancements to life, measured sometimes in days - it's going to be very, very challenging for any insurance system, public or otherwise, to be in a position to buy every product that is out there," he said. ...more

Methadone victim's family sues clinic, doctors

From the Ottawa Sun:
Parents of a man who died of a methadone overdose administered by accident at a downtown addiction treatment clinic are seeking a half-million dollars in damages in a lawsuit.

The statement of claim filed April 24 by Linda and Douglas Hatt, and on behalf of their son Wade Lamont Hatt, names as defendants the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centres and a number of doctors and nurses connected with the centre. ...more

U.S. FDA rejects painkiller Arcoxia, Merck's Vioxx successor

I would think that the FDA rejection of Arcoxia is not going to help its chances of being approved in Canada. As far as I'm aware, it's still somewhere in the Health Canada approval process.

From CBC News:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Merck & Co.'s request to market a successor to its withdrawn arthritis drug Vioxx in the United States, the drug maker said Friday.

The move was widely expected, after a panel of FDA advisers two weeks ago voted 20-1 against approving the drug, Arcoxia.

Arcoxia is in the class of anti-inflammatory drugs called COX-2 inhibitors, which are touted as less likely to cause stomach bleeding and other dangers but have been linked to cardiac risks. ...more

Shoppers Drug Mart profit jumps almost 19 percent

From Reuters:
Shoppers Drug Mart (SC.TO) reported an 18.7 percent jump in first-quarter profit on Monday, as Canada's largest drugstore chain continued to enjoy robust prescription and front-store sales.

Shoppers said it earned C$85.1 million ($76.6 million), or 39 Canadian cents a share, for the quarter ended March 24, up from a profit of C$71.7 million, or 33 Canadian cents a share, in the corresponding period a year earlier.

Solid top-line growth, an enhanced sales mix and an ongoing commitment to cost reduction helped power profit higher in the quarter, the company said, noting those factors offset higher operating costs and increased amortization in new and relocated stores. ...more

Pfizer says Canadian court blocks generic Celebrex

From the Financial Post:
Pfizer Inc. said yesterday the Federal Court of Appeal of Canada has blocked generic drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. from launching a copycat form of its Celebrex arthritis drug in the country until 2014.

Pfizer said the court, in its ruling, reversed a lower court ruling that would have permitted Teva's Novopharm affiliate to launch its form of Celebrex in Canada.

The patent concerned the chemical composition of Celebrex, Pfizer spokesman Bryant Haskins said. ...more

Depression May Be Early Sign of Parkinson's Disease

We know that dopamine plays a role in both illnesses, so it makes sense that a link between the two exists. I find it surprising that it's taken this long for the connection to be shown in a study. I think this information will be considered essential in the future and may result in the faster diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease.

From CBC News:
In some cases, depression can be an early manifestation of Parkinson's disease, new research suggests.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health compared antidepressant use among more than 1,000 individuals with Parkinson's disease to more than 6,600 age- and gender-matched individuals without the degenerative neurological illness.

They found that people currently on antidepressants had an 80 percent higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those who had never taken antidepressants. This was true for both men and women, regardless of age or the class of antidepressant used. ...more

Updates coming soon

I will have new posts online tonight.