From the Dundas (Ontario) Star News:
Thanks to the newest addition to Dundas' thriving business community, there's one more reason not to miss this Thursday's popular annual Cactus Festival Parade. ...more
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Drug battles relapsed bone marrow cancer
From Macleans:
People with bone marrow cancer who fail standard treatments may live longer thanks to a new drug called bortezomib.
Bone marrow cancer, or multiple myeloma, will be diagnosed in 1,850 Canadians this year, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. An estimated 1,250 will die from the disease.
Dr. Joseph Connor, chairman of the lymphoma treatment group at the B.C. Cancer Agency, says that for multiple myeloma patients who have failed standard treatments such as bone marrow stem cell transplantation or chemotherapy, bortezomib can help 30 to 40 per cent get better and stay better for months and possibly years. ...more
People with bone marrow cancer who fail standard treatments may live longer thanks to a new drug called bortezomib.
Bone marrow cancer, or multiple myeloma, will be diagnosed in 1,850 Canadians this year, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. An estimated 1,250 will die from the disease.
Dr. Joseph Connor, chairman of the lymphoma treatment group at the B.C. Cancer Agency, says that for multiple myeloma patients who have failed standard treatments such as bone marrow stem cell transplantation or chemotherapy, bortezomib can help 30 to 40 per cent get better and stay better for months and possibly years. ...more
The staggering price of survival
From the Globe and Mail:
A 75-year-old cancer patient from Prince Edward Island is depleting her life savings to pay $4,500 a month for thalidomide.
An Albertan, living on a small pension, cashed in some RRSPs to pay for the drug to treat his multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow.
And an Ottawa-area father has paid thousands so his teenage son with brain cancer could get the drug.
All of these people are wondering how a drug, almost a half-century old, which can be made for less than a dime in a Brazilian government laboratory, can cost as much as $37.50 a capsule in Canada. ...more
A 75-year-old cancer patient from Prince Edward Island is depleting her life savings to pay $4,500 a month for thalidomide.
An Albertan, living on a small pension, cashed in some RRSPs to pay for the drug to treat his multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow.
And an Ottawa-area father has paid thousands so his teenage son with brain cancer could get the drug.
All of these people are wondering how a drug, almost a half-century old, which can be made for less than a dime in a Brazilian government laboratory, can cost as much as $37.50 a capsule in Canada. ...more
Health Canada Advisory Re: Counterfeit Lipitor Sold in UK
From Halifax Live:
Health Canada is advising Canadians about the recent recall of a batch of counterfeit Lipitor (atorvastatin) sold in the United Kingdom (UK). This drug is used to treat high cholesterol. The counterfeit Lipitor 20mg tablets were recalled in the UK on July 28, 2005.
Health Canada has no indication that any of the counterfeit Lipitor tablets reached the Canadian market. ...more
Health Canada is advising Canadians about the recent recall of a batch of counterfeit Lipitor (atorvastatin) sold in the United Kingdom (UK). This drug is used to treat high cholesterol. The counterfeit Lipitor 20mg tablets were recalled in the UK on July 28, 2005.
Health Canada has no indication that any of the counterfeit Lipitor tablets reached the Canadian market. ...more
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
For Generic Drugs, the Price Is Right in U.S.
From the Los Angeles Times:
Mabel Stoltz, at 93, lives independently in her own home in a quiet harbor town on the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior. But she has to watch her budget carefully and has been buying prescription drugs from Canada.
So Stoltz was surprised to learn recently that she could buy her generic-label medications for much less from a U.S. pharmacy — a potential savings of $560 a year for two prescriptions. "I do have enough money to pay, but I don't know how long it will last at this rate," said Stoltz, who once worked as a medical secretary.
Like Stoltz, many U.S. consumers have been buying generic drugs from Canada, not realizing that generics — unlike brand-name medications — are usually quite a bit cheaper at home. ...more
Mabel Stoltz, at 93, lives independently in her own home in a quiet harbor town on the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior. But she has to watch her budget carefully and has been buying prescription drugs from Canada.
So Stoltz was surprised to learn recently that she could buy her generic-label medications for much less from a U.S. pharmacy — a potential savings of $560 a year for two prescriptions. "I do have enough money to pay, but I don't know how long it will last at this rate," said Stoltz, who once worked as a medical secretary.
Like Stoltz, many U.S. consumers have been buying generic drugs from Canada, not realizing that generics — unlike brand-name medications — are usually quite a bit cheaper at home. ...more
Monday, August 08, 2005
Canada Services Responds
From KELOLAND (SDak):
Just half an hour before Friday's 5pm deadline, Canada Services responded to a complaint from the state's Attorney General. It simply requests the judge throw it out. ...more
Just half an hour before Friday's 5pm deadline, Canada Services responded to a complaint from the state's Attorney General. It simply requests the judge throw it out. ...more
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Fla. doctor avoids serious discipline for providing Canadian flu shots
From the Brandon (Manitoba) Sun:
Dr. Hanimi Challa says all he wanted to do was provide his elderly patients with critical flu shots. So, when the U.S. flu vaccine supply appeared to be cut drastically short last year because of a contamination problem in England, he went looking for an alternative.
He found it in Canada. ...more
Dr. Hanimi Challa says all he wanted to do was provide his elderly patients with critical flu shots. So, when the U.S. flu vaccine supply appeared to be cut drastically short last year because of a contamination problem in England, he went looking for an alternative.
He found it in Canada. ...more
Robbery hits close to home
From the Fredericton Daily Gleaner:
Despite twice being a victim of an armed robbery, pharmacist Donna Chauvin doesn't feel the latest syringe incident is a trend - at least as far as pharmacies are concerned.
Chauvin was held up in 1997 with a gun and in 1999 with a knife. ...more
Despite twice being a victim of an armed robbery, pharmacist Donna Chauvin doesn't feel the latest syringe incident is a trend - at least as far as pharmacies are concerned.
Chauvin was held up in 1997 with a gun and in 1999 with a knife. ...more
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Cancer drug treats rheumatoid arthritis
From Macleans:
A single course of treatment with the cancer drug rituximab lessens the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for up to two years, according to Canadian doctors.
Rituximab (brand name Rituxan) is approved for treatment of a cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Because the drug targets a certain type of immune system cell, researchers decided to test it in rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own joints, causing pain and swelling. ...more
A single course of treatment with the cancer drug rituximab lessens the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis for up to two years, according to Canadian doctors.
Rituximab (brand name Rituxan) is approved for treatment of a cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Because the drug targets a certain type of immune system cell, researchers decided to test it in rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own joints, causing pain and swelling. ...more
Hike in funding for cancer drugs helps
From the Stouffville (Ont.) Sun Tribune:
Helen Gaidatsis will not use Herceptin, Navelbine or Taxotere, the new intravenous cancer drugs the province is now spending $148 million over three years to fund.
But the retired York elementary school principal and breast cancer survivor knows the decision to fund three expensive cancer drugs previously available only through private health insurance or personal expense will held many patients, both medically and financially. ...more
Helen Gaidatsis will not use Herceptin, Navelbine or Taxotere, the new intravenous cancer drugs the province is now spending $148 million over three years to fund.
But the retired York elementary school principal and breast cancer survivor knows the decision to fund three expensive cancer drugs previously available only through private health insurance or personal expense will held many patients, both medically and financially. ...more
Tennessee Leads U.S. in Medicaid Cuts, Considers Drug Imports
From Bloomberg.com:
Tennessee is cutting more people from Medicaid this year than any other state, and lawmakers there want to compensate by letting residents buy cheaper drugs from outside the U.S.
Tennessee is a month into a plan to trim as many as 322,000 people from Medicaid, the joint state-U.S. health program for the poor, to slow increases in the state's health spending. Other states making significant cuts are No. 2 Missouri with 90,000, Alaska, Mississippi, Ohio and Oregon. ...more
Tennessee is cutting more people from Medicaid this year than any other state, and lawmakers there want to compensate by letting residents buy cheaper drugs from outside the U.S.
Tennessee is a month into a plan to trim as many as 322,000 people from Medicaid, the joint state-U.S. health program for the poor, to slow increases in the state's health spending. Other states making significant cuts are No. 2 Missouri with 90,000, Alaska, Mississippi, Ohio and Oregon. ...more
Models suggest flu pandemic could be stopped at source but skeptics abound
From the Canadian Press:
A flu pandemic could be extinguished at its source with a rapid response combining antiviral drugs, quarantine and perhaps vaccination, two international groups of mathematical modellers reported Wednesday in prominent scientific journals. ...more
A flu pandemic could be extinguished at its source with a rapid response combining antiviral drugs, quarantine and perhaps vaccination, two international groups of mathematical modellers reported Wednesday in prominent scientific journals. ...more
Canadian Drug Service Closes
From the Lakeland (FL) Ledger:
A Canadian pharmacy service in Lakeland shut its doors in March following legal action by the Florida Department of Health.
Discount Medicine of Canada closed after the Health Department won a permanent injunction against the business in Polk County circuit court, according to documents released to The Ledger this week by the DOH. In their report, DOH investigators said Discount Medicine continually violated state laws and was operating as an unlicensed pharmacy. ...more
A Canadian pharmacy service in Lakeland shut its doors in March following legal action by the Florida Department of Health.
Discount Medicine of Canada closed after the Health Department won a permanent injunction against the business in Polk County circuit court, according to documents released to The Ledger this week by the DOH. In their report, DOH investigators said Discount Medicine continually violated state laws and was operating as an unlicensed pharmacy. ...more
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Health Canada warns of opioids-alcohol dangers
From CTV News:
Slow-release painkillers known as opioids and any amount of alcohol could be a fatal combination, Health Canada warned Wednesday.
It urged people on the pain medications to avoid alcoholic drinks and over-the-counter medicines containing alcohol until further safety data can be gathered. ...more
Slow-release painkillers known as opioids and any amount of alcohol could be a fatal combination, Health Canada warned Wednesday.
It urged people on the pain medications to avoid alcoholic drinks and over-the-counter medicines containing alcohol until further safety data can be gathered. ...more
New drug helping win fight against fastest rising cancer
From the Globe and Mail:
Adding a new drug to the standard chemotherapy cocktail can significantly boost the survival rate of patients with the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- the fastest-rising cancer among Canadians, a study has shown.
The study by the B.C. Cancer Agency shows that the addition of the drug rituximab increased two-year survival by more than 50 per cent, compared with using only the standard mix of four chemo drugs. ...more
Adding a new drug to the standard chemotherapy cocktail can significantly boost the survival rate of patients with the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma -- the fastest-rising cancer among Canadians, a study has shown.
The study by the B.C. Cancer Agency shows that the addition of the drug rituximab increased two-year survival by more than 50 per cent, compared with using only the standard mix of four chemo drugs. ...more
Potentially fatal interaction between slow-release Opioid, and alcohol
From Health Canada:
Health Canada is advising Canadians of serious health risks when consuming alcohol while taking any type of slow-release painkillers known as opioids. These medications are used for the relief of severe pain over a prolonged period of time. ...more
Health Canada is advising Canadians of serious health risks when consuming alcohol while taking any type of slow-release painkillers known as opioids. These medications are used for the relief of severe pain over a prolonged period of time. ...more
Dementia drugs don't increase stroke risk
From Macleans:
An Ontario study suggests people with dementia do not have an elevated risk of stroke if they take medications called atypical antipsychotics, despite several official warnings to the contrary.
The atypical antipsychotics in question are risperidone (brand name Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel). The use of these drugs is widespread in people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia who display aggression, agitation and psychosis, collectively referred to as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. ...more
An Ontario study suggests people with dementia do not have an elevated risk of stroke if they take medications called atypical antipsychotics, despite several official warnings to the contrary.
The atypical antipsychotics in question are risperidone (brand name Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa) and quetiapine (Seroquel). The use of these drugs is widespread in people with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia who display aggression, agitation and psychosis, collectively referred to as behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. ...more
Canada Services' Day In Court
From KELOLAND (SD):
It's been sixteen months since Canada Services set up shop here in Sioux Falls. Questions over whether the business is legal have been around even longer. But like today's temperatures, the heat is back on to shut it down.
Almost from the time the name went up, owner Brent Christopherson has been defending his business. Brent Christopherson says, "Canada Drug us a mail-order facility for people that want to place an order through Canada for prescription drugs." ...more
It's been sixteen months since Canada Services set up shop here in Sioux Falls. Questions over whether the business is legal have been around even longer. But like today's temperatures, the heat is back on to shut it down.
Almost from the time the name went up, owner Brent Christopherson has been defending his business. Brent Christopherson says, "Canada Drug us a mail-order facility for people that want to place an order through Canada for prescription drugs." ...more
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Canada Services has until Friday afternoon to answer lawsuit
From the Aberdeen (SD) News:
A company that set up shop in Sioux Falls about 16 months ago has been given until Friday afternoon to answer a lawsuit that says it is illegally dispensing drugs.
The South Dakota Board of Pharmacy filed the lawsuit May 31 against Canada Services, originally known as Canada Drugs. The company serves as a go-between for cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. ...more
A company that set up shop in Sioux Falls about 16 months ago has been given until Friday afternoon to answer a lawsuit that says it is illegally dispensing drugs.
The South Dakota Board of Pharmacy filed the lawsuit May 31 against Canada Services, originally known as Canada Drugs. The company serves as a go-between for cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. ...more
Monday, August 01, 2005
Paying the price for treatment
From the Globe and Mail:
Avastin is a promising new drug that lengthens the lives of those with incurable colorectal cancer, the second biggest cause of cancer death in Canada.
It's also one of a slew of drugs revolutionizing cancer care and stoking a growing controversy over where -- or if -- to draw the line on funding for expensive new therapies. ...more
Avastin is a promising new drug that lengthens the lives of those with incurable colorectal cancer, the second biggest cause of cancer death in Canada.
It's also one of a slew of drugs revolutionizing cancer care and stoking a growing controversy over where -- or if -- to draw the line on funding for expensive new therapies. ...more
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