From CBC News:
Pharmacists in Newfoundland and Labrador are asking the provincial government for authority to extend drug prescriptions, on grounds it would improve patient care and save money.
The pharmacists say millions of dollars are being unnecessarily spent because too many patients head to emergency rooms for treatment or prescriptions, when better alternatives could be made available.
Wayne Morris, president of the Newfoundland Council of Community Pharmacy Owners, said he sees about two or three people each day who must either face not taking medications or heading to hospitals for prescriptions.
The consequences, he said, can be serious.
"If somebody's on insulin and can't get it for a week or 10 days, [then] basically what you have to realize is that they are going to end up in hospital," said Morris, who owns a pharmacy in Grand Falls-Windsor. ...more
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Telepharmacy service instituted in Barry's Bay hospital
From Barry's Bay (Ont.) This Week:
The shortage of health care professionals across the province has made it difficult for small rural hospitals to offer the services needed. For the past 18 months, for example, St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Barry’s Bay has been trying to find a pharmacist, without luck.
But it has now solved the problem by connecting with Northern Pharmacy Limited (a division of The North West Company), which offers telepharmacy services.
“A small hospital can safely operate a medication storage and distribution system for their patients under the management of a registered nurse,” says Joan Kuiack, Director of Patient Care Services. “However, the addition of a pharmacist offers an enhanced quality of care to our patients.”
A pharmacist has the expertise to look at the whole patient, his or her disease and relate the effectiveness of the medication they are receiving to their progress, she adds.
The hospital first contacted Kevin McDonald, manager of the hospital pharmacy telepharmacy program at Northern Pharmacy, about a year ago, but decided to try to organize a partnership with Renfrew Victoria Hospital for services of a pharmacist. ...more
The shortage of health care professionals across the province has made it difficult for small rural hospitals to offer the services needed. For the past 18 months, for example, St. Francis Memorial Hospital in Barry’s Bay has been trying to find a pharmacist, without luck.
But it has now solved the problem by connecting with Northern Pharmacy Limited (a division of The North West Company), which offers telepharmacy services.
“A small hospital can safely operate a medication storage and distribution system for their patients under the management of a registered nurse,” says Joan Kuiack, Director of Patient Care Services. “However, the addition of a pharmacist offers an enhanced quality of care to our patients.”
A pharmacist has the expertise to look at the whole patient, his or her disease and relate the effectiveness of the medication they are receiving to their progress, she adds.
The hospital first contacted Kevin McDonald, manager of the hospital pharmacy telepharmacy program at Northern Pharmacy, about a year ago, but decided to try to organize a partnership with Renfrew Victoria Hospital for services of a pharmacist. ...more
Pharmacy school nearly ready
From the Waterloo (Ont.) Record:
Dr. Jake Thiessen walks through a muddy parking lot in a busy construction site and steps into a signature building in the city's core -- the University of Waterloo's school of pharmacy.
At King and Victoria streets, the $52-million building is the most visible and tangible sign of progress in the City of Kitchener's long-running campaign to bolster the downtown.
Thiessen is the founding director of the school, and these days he walks around the site with a feeling of exhilaration.
"It is a terrific thing to be part of something from the ground up," he said yesterday during a tour of the building. "I was blessed with the privilege of starting with a blank slate and dreaming of what could be." ...more
Dr. Jake Thiessen walks through a muddy parking lot in a busy construction site and steps into a signature building in the city's core -- the University of Waterloo's school of pharmacy.
At King and Victoria streets, the $52-million building is the most visible and tangible sign of progress in the City of Kitchener's long-running campaign to bolster the downtown.
Thiessen is the founding director of the school, and these days he walks around the site with a feeling of exhilaration.
"It is a terrific thing to be part of something from the ground up," he said yesterday during a tour of the building. "I was blessed with the privilege of starting with a blank slate and dreaming of what could be." ...more
Drugged-out seniors a prescription for disaster
From the Toronto Star:
They are the drugged-out generation, and they're not who you think they are.
They're 80. And 85 and 90 and 95 – overmedicated seniors clogging emergency departments, blocking hospital beds and sicker than they have any reason to be.
The Number 1 drug users in North America, outside of patients in long-term care facilities, are women over the age of 65. Twelve per cent are on 10 or more meds, sometimes up to 20 or more drugs; 23 per cent take at least five drugs. In long-term care, seniors are on six to eight medications, on average. Fifteen per cent of seniors admitted to hospital are suffering drug side effects. It's not uncommon to find seniors dizzy and dotty from being prescribed so many drugs.
"You'd fall down, too, if you were on so many drugs," says Dr. William Dalziel, a prominent Ottawa geriatrician.
Typically, overmedicated seniors have been seen by numerous specialists who have prescribed various medications to treat a host of chronic ailments – high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer – but there hasn't been any oversight by a geriatrician skilled in looking at the big picture and assessing contra-indications and side effects. Ask any doctor with expertise in seniors what their top health concerns are and they all cite overmedication. ...more
They are the drugged-out generation, and they're not who you think they are.
They're 80. And 85 and 90 and 95 – overmedicated seniors clogging emergency departments, blocking hospital beds and sicker than they have any reason to be.
The Number 1 drug users in North America, outside of patients in long-term care facilities, are women over the age of 65. Twelve per cent are on 10 or more meds, sometimes up to 20 or more drugs; 23 per cent take at least five drugs. In long-term care, seniors are on six to eight medications, on average. Fifteen per cent of seniors admitted to hospital are suffering drug side effects. It's not uncommon to find seniors dizzy and dotty from being prescribed so many drugs.
"You'd fall down, too, if you were on so many drugs," says Dr. William Dalziel, a prominent Ottawa geriatrician.
Typically, overmedicated seniors have been seen by numerous specialists who have prescribed various medications to treat a host of chronic ailments – high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease, cancer – but there hasn't been any oversight by a geriatrician skilled in looking at the big picture and assessing contra-indications and side effects. Ask any doctor with expertise in seniors what their top health concerns are and they all cite overmedication. ...more
Shoppers' new beauty emporium takes on Sephora
From the Ottawa Citizen:
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation has chosen Ottawa to launch its first high-end, multi-service beauty store in Canada. Murale features a cocktail of services, from a pharmacy that exudes Scandinavian style to a "bar" focusing on beautiful skin and trim eyebrows.
Launched on the weekend at Place d'Orléans Shopping Centre, Murale is the brainchild of Shoppers Drug Mart president and CEO Jurgen Schreiber, who wanted to combine beauty and dermatological products with professional services in a sleek space.
Among its 30 services Murale offers purifying facial and body treatments, and a skin analysis section called Beauty Metrix where a "skin diagnostic tool" measures a customer's skin damage, skin quality and moisture level, while a consultant will suggest topical creams to meet the customer's needs. ...more
Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation has chosen Ottawa to launch its first high-end, multi-service beauty store in Canada. Murale features a cocktail of services, from a pharmacy that exudes Scandinavian style to a "bar" focusing on beautiful skin and trim eyebrows.
Launched on the weekend at Place d'Orléans Shopping Centre, Murale is the brainchild of Shoppers Drug Mart president and CEO Jurgen Schreiber, who wanted to combine beauty and dermatological products with professional services in a sleek space.
Among its 30 services Murale offers purifying facial and body treatments, and a skin analysis section called Beauty Metrix where a "skin diagnostic tool" measures a customer's skin damage, skin quality and moisture level, while a consultant will suggest topical creams to meet the customer's needs. ...more
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Pharmacists face Rexall lockout
From the Edmonton Sun:
A potential move by Rexall that would see dozens of highly specialized pharmacists locked out could have negative impacts on the patients they serve, some terminally ill, one expert says.
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta, the organization representing the workers, says the pharmacy giant has applied to the Labour Relations Board to lock out pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working at outpatient pharmacies at the U of A and Royal Alexandra hospitals, following a breakdown in contract negotiations.
Elisabeth Ballermann, HSAA president, says pharmacists working for Rexall have historically been paid on par with their counterparts working for the provincial health board.
However, things turned sour when the non-Rexall employees got a significant pay increase, which Rexall is not prepared to match.
"The message was pretty blunt at the bargaining table that Rexall doesn't feel that they're making enough of a profit. They are, in fact, making a profit, they just don't think they're making a big enough profit," Ballermann said, adding the gap will be in the neighbourhood of $8,000 over two years for workers. ...more
A potential move by Rexall that would see dozens of highly specialized pharmacists locked out could have negative impacts on the patients they serve, some terminally ill, one expert says.
The Health Sciences Association of Alberta, the organization representing the workers, says the pharmacy giant has applied to the Labour Relations Board to lock out pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working at outpatient pharmacies at the U of A and Royal Alexandra hospitals, following a breakdown in contract negotiations.
Elisabeth Ballermann, HSAA president, says pharmacists working for Rexall have historically been paid on par with their counterparts working for the provincial health board.
However, things turned sour when the non-Rexall employees got a significant pay increase, which Rexall is not prepared to match.
"The message was pretty blunt at the bargaining table that Rexall doesn't feel that they're making enough of a profit. They are, in fact, making a profit, they just don't think they're making a big enough profit," Ballermann said, adding the gap will be in the neighbourhood of $8,000 over two years for workers. ...more
Windsor's independent pharmacists caught in drug war crossfire
From the Windsor Star:
The mural of an old-fashioned, small-town apothecary on the window of Steve Gavrilidis's South Windsor pharmacy reflects the personal service he provides inside -- his best, perhaps only, defence against the rapid expansion of competing national drugstore chains.
Like hundreds of independent pharmacists across the province, Gavrilidis finds himself caught in the crossfire of Ontario's drug war -- the battle for market supremacy being waged between Shoppers Drug Mart and upstart Rexall.
"They're chasing each other and nipping at each other's heels, taking away from guys like me," said Gavrilidis. "Everybody wants a piece of the pie and the pie is getting smaller."
The Pharma Health independent pharmacy has found a niche providing the personal touch. Pharmacist Steve Gavrilidis assists customers in the comfort
Like Burger King and McDonald's at the height of the burger wars, the two drugstore chains are rapidly expanding across the province, acquiring independent outlets and opening new stores in each other's shadows. In Goderich earlier this month, Rexall and Shoppers both opened stores in the span of a week.
"Rexall is out to get Shoppers' market share and that's the bottom line," said retired University of Windsor business professor Alfie Morgan. "It's a competitive battle between two giants." ...more
The mural of an old-fashioned, small-town apothecary on the window of Steve Gavrilidis's South Windsor pharmacy reflects the personal service he provides inside -- his best, perhaps only, defence against the rapid expansion of competing national drugstore chains.
Like hundreds of independent pharmacists across the province, Gavrilidis finds himself caught in the crossfire of Ontario's drug war -- the battle for market supremacy being waged between Shoppers Drug Mart and upstart Rexall.
"They're chasing each other and nipping at each other's heels, taking away from guys like me," said Gavrilidis. "Everybody wants a piece of the pie and the pie is getting smaller."
The Pharma Health independent pharmacy has found a niche providing the personal touch. Pharmacist Steve Gavrilidis assists customers in the comfort
Like Burger King and McDonald's at the height of the burger wars, the two drugstore chains are rapidly expanding across the province, acquiring independent outlets and opening new stores in each other's shadows. In Goderich earlier this month, Rexall and Shoppers both opened stores in the span of a week.
"Rexall is out to get Shoppers' market share and that's the bottom line," said retired University of Windsor business professor Alfie Morgan. "It's a competitive battle between two giants." ...more
A New Age Of Statins?
From Forbes:
A new study could lead millions more Americans to take cholesterol-lowering drugs and generate billions in sales for AstraZeneca, which funded it. But first comes a furious debate.
The study, called Jupiter, gave either AstraZeneca's Crestor or placebo to 18,000 patients who received bad scores on a little-known blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP) that is thought to measure inflammation in the arteries. Patients who took Crestor were half as likely to have heart attacks, strokes or operations to open clogged arteries as those getting placebo, an effect that ranks among the best results seen with the two-decade old class of cholesterol drugs called statins, of which Crestor is the most potent.
"It takes prevention to a new level because it applies to a whole group of patients who would not get a statin today," says Douglas Weaver, president of the American College of cardiology. In a statement, Elizabeth Nabel, head of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, says adding CRP tests to those for blood pressure and cholesterol "could identify millions more adults for whom treatments with statins appears to lower the risk of heart attack." ..more
A new study could lead millions more Americans to take cholesterol-lowering drugs and generate billions in sales for AstraZeneca, which funded it. But first comes a furious debate.
The study, called Jupiter, gave either AstraZeneca's Crestor or placebo to 18,000 patients who received bad scores on a little-known blood test for C-reactive protein (CRP) that is thought to measure inflammation in the arteries. Patients who took Crestor were half as likely to have heart attacks, strokes or operations to open clogged arteries as those getting placebo, an effect that ranks among the best results seen with the two-decade old class of cholesterol drugs called statins, of which Crestor is the most potent.
"It takes prevention to a new level because it applies to a whole group of patients who would not get a statin today," says Douglas Weaver, president of the American College of cardiology. In a statement, Elizabeth Nabel, head of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, says adding CRP tests to those for blood pressure and cholesterol "could identify millions more adults for whom treatments with statins appears to lower the risk of heart attack." ..more
Review of QU college by Canadian body complete
I don't exactly understand the reason that Qatar University wants Canadian accreditation. I suspect this is to enhance their credibility. But could it also lead to their students having an easier path to Canadian licensure than other foreign graduates? Are any other foreign universities planning to ask the CCAPP to inspect their programs?
From the Qatar Gulf Times:
Qatar University’s College of Pharmacy has completed a accreditation review conducted by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programmes, the agency for accrediting pharmacy schools in Canada.
“We are the first international programme to undergo an accreditation review by CCAPP,” College of Pharmacy dean Peter Jewesson noted, adding that the same standards and guidelines were applied to the college’s programmes as for Canadian programmes.
The accreditation process was conducted from October 19 to 22 only months after the College of Pharmacy was elevated from Pharmacy Programme following the approval of the QU Board of Regents under the chairmanship of HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Advance documentation was provided to the agency in July of this year. ...more
Shoppers Drug Mart Q3 profit climbs 15%
From the Financial Post:
Third-quarter profit at Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. climbed 15% as the retailer of cosmetics, vitamins and prescription drugs built out its store network and increased its sales in house-branded goods.
Net income at Canada's largest drug store chain rose to $162.5-million, or 75¢ per share, compared with $141.7-million, or 65¢, in the same period a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson First call were predicting profit of 75¢.
Sales rose 9.8% to $2.79-billion and same-store sales, a retailing bellwether which looks at sales at stores open at least a year, rose 5%, not including tobacco sales. Prescription same-store sales rose 5.2% and merchandise sales were up 4.8%.
This was the 18th consecutive quarter of increased profit at Shoppers, which increased its retail space by 12.6% in the period.
"No real surprises," said analyst Bob Gibson of Octagon Capital, which was reassuring, he said, given recent turmoil in the more discretionary end of the retailing sector. The analyst said he was considering moving his rating on the shares up to a buy from a hold given its recent decline in share price. Prior to yesterday's close, Shoppers' shares had lost 10% of their value this year. ...more
Third-quarter profit at Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. climbed 15% as the retailer of cosmetics, vitamins and prescription drugs built out its store network and increased its sales in house-branded goods.
Net income at Canada's largest drug store chain rose to $162.5-million, or 75¢ per share, compared with $141.7-million, or 65¢, in the same period a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson First call were predicting profit of 75¢.
Sales rose 9.8% to $2.79-billion and same-store sales, a retailing bellwether which looks at sales at stores open at least a year, rose 5%, not including tobacco sales. Prescription same-store sales rose 5.2% and merchandise sales were up 4.8%.
This was the 18th consecutive quarter of increased profit at Shoppers, which increased its retail space by 12.6% in the period.
"No real surprises," said analyst Bob Gibson of Octagon Capital, which was reassuring, he said, given recent turmoil in the more discretionary end of the retailing sector. The analyst said he was considering moving his rating on the shares up to a buy from a hold given its recent decline in share price. Prior to yesterday's close, Shoppers' shares had lost 10% of their value this year. ...more
Downtown Walgreens to focus on HIV/AIDS
I think it's pretty interesting that some of the bigger pharmacy chains are starting to develop niche markets. Typically this has been the domain of independent pharmacies.
From the Indianapolis Star:
Walgreens is reaching out to people with HIV and AIDS by creating a hub store in Downtown Indianapolis to meet their needs.
Staffed with a pharmacist trained to help HIV patients, the store reflects the nationwide drugstore chain's new strategy of providing customized services to those with certain diseases.
"The company is changing from most people's image of Walgreens, where you have four brick walls, Snickers bars and greeting cards and school supplies," said Bruce Hinshaw, health-care market leader for Walgreen Co. for the Indianapolis/ Central Indiana market. "It's always been a health-care company, and I think Walgreens is saying, 'That's our strength. Let's go back to our core strength.' "
In New Castle, this approach has translated into a pharmacy that offers compounding services. Later, Indianapolis could see a store with a specialty in diabetes care, Hinshaw said. Other Walgreens stores around the country specialize in services for those with respiratory problems, tumors or cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis. ...more
Thursday, November 06, 2008
SCOC upholds blood-thinning drug patent
From Canada.com:
The Supreme Court of Canada blocked the sale of a generic version of a popular blood-thinning drug in a ruling Thursday that reinforced patent protection to encourage brand-name pharmaceutical companies and other businesses to invest time and money into research.
The court unanimously dismissed generic drug-maker Apotex's bid to quash a Canadian patent for best-seller Plavix, which expires in 2012.
The ruling settles an intellectual property dispute over the validity of secondary patents that give drug companies protection, not only for their original inventions, but for an entire family of possible chemical compounds that encourage scientists to go back to the laboratory to improve a product. ...more
The Supreme Court of Canada blocked the sale of a generic version of a popular blood-thinning drug in a ruling Thursday that reinforced patent protection to encourage brand-name pharmaceutical companies and other businesses to invest time and money into research.
The court unanimously dismissed generic drug-maker Apotex's bid to quash a Canadian patent for best-seller Plavix, which expires in 2012.
The ruling settles an intellectual property dispute over the validity of secondary patents that give drug companies protection, not only for their original inventions, but for an entire family of possible chemical compounds that encourage scientists to go back to the laboratory to improve a product. ...more
Testosterone patch may put pleasure back in post-menopause sex
From the Globe and Mail:
The male sex hormone testosterone may help restore sexual pleasure in some post-menopausal women, much as erectile dysfunction drugs have given some men back their sex lives, according to research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In an international study of 814 women who were not using estrogen therapy, those who received 300 milligrams of testosterone a day via a patch on the stomach for a year reported an increase of about one-and-a-half more satisfying sexual episodes a month, when corrected for a placebo effect.
Lead researcher Susan Davis says she conducted the study to determine whether testosterone was a suitable alternative for menopausal women who have stopped taking estrogen therapy because of studies linking it to health risks, including breast cancer.
The study, a two-year double-blind clinical trial of women from Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden who reported enjoying sex only 50 per cent of time, was financed by Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, the makers of a testosterone patch currently available in Europe. ...more
The male sex hormone testosterone may help restore sexual pleasure in some post-menopausal women, much as erectile dysfunction drugs have given some men back their sex lives, according to research published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In an international study of 814 women who were not using estrogen therapy, those who received 300 milligrams of testosterone a day via a patch on the stomach for a year reported an increase of about one-and-a-half more satisfying sexual episodes a month, when corrected for a placebo effect.
Lead researcher Susan Davis says she conducted the study to determine whether testosterone was a suitable alternative for menopausal women who have stopped taking estrogen therapy because of studies linking it to health risks, including breast cancer.
The study, a two-year double-blind clinical trial of women from Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden who reported enjoying sex only 50 per cent of time, was financed by Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, the makers of a testosterone patch currently available in Europe. ...more
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Just what the druggist ordered
From the Saint John (NB) Telegraph Journal:
It's about to become much easier for New Brunswickers to get the medications they need without waiting for the OK from their doctors.
Changes to the province's Pharmacy Act come into effect tomorrow, significantly expanding the role of the pharmacist in replacing, renewing and, in some cases, issuing prescriptions.
"It's going to improve access for people who need their medications," said Lisa Zwicker, a pharmacist in Saint John.
"And it will save steps for us. Lots of times we have to stop and call or fax a doctor and wait to hear back in order to fill a prescription. It will eliminate that step. I don't think it will make our jobs any busier, but I think it will be better for everyone."
New Brunswick's 700 pharmacists fill more than nine million prescriptions every year.
Bill Veniot, registrar with New Brunswick's Pharmaceutical Society, said the new legislation finally recognizes the extensive training and experience of pharmacists.
"We're experts in drug therapy," Veniot said at a news conference in Fredericton on Tuesday.
"It's natural that we take on more authority with respect to prescribing certain medications." ...more
It's about to become much easier for New Brunswickers to get the medications they need without waiting for the OK from their doctors.
Changes to the province's Pharmacy Act come into effect tomorrow, significantly expanding the role of the pharmacist in replacing, renewing and, in some cases, issuing prescriptions.
"It's going to improve access for people who need their medications," said Lisa Zwicker, a pharmacist in Saint John.
"And it will save steps for us. Lots of times we have to stop and call or fax a doctor and wait to hear back in order to fill a prescription. It will eliminate that step. I don't think it will make our jobs any busier, but I think it will be better for everyone."
New Brunswick's 700 pharmacists fill more than nine million prescriptions every year.
Bill Veniot, registrar with New Brunswick's Pharmaceutical Society, said the new legislation finally recognizes the extensive training and experience of pharmacists.
"We're experts in drug therapy," Veniot said at a news conference in Fredericton on Tuesday.
"It's natural that we take on more authority with respect to prescribing certain medications." ...more
Ottawa to revive supplement safety bill
From the Globe and Mail:
Health Minister Tony Clement plans to reintroduce controversial legislation giving the federal government more oversight regarding the quality and safety of supplements, vitamins and other natural health products.
A spokeswoman for the minister, Laryssa Waler, said yesterday that Ottawa intends to go forward with new safety proposals to cover the booming and poorly regulated supplement field, but didn't offer a timeline.
The decision is likely to cause another pitched battle within the natural health products industry, where one major player, Jamieson Laboratories, yesterday issued a public call for stricter regulations.
It argues that current rules are so lax that Ottawa can't even order harmful products off store shelves and is only able to issue toothless health advisories.
The earlier legislation, known as bill C-51, prompted a vociferous campaign by some smaller health-products companies that said it would lead to government restrictions on the types of supplements available on the market. The bill died when the election was called. ...more
Health Minister Tony Clement plans to reintroduce controversial legislation giving the federal government more oversight regarding the quality and safety of supplements, vitamins and other natural health products.
A spokeswoman for the minister, Laryssa Waler, said yesterday that Ottawa intends to go forward with new safety proposals to cover the booming and poorly regulated supplement field, but didn't offer a timeline.
The decision is likely to cause another pitched battle within the natural health products industry, where one major player, Jamieson Laboratories, yesterday issued a public call for stricter regulations.
It argues that current rules are so lax that Ottawa can't even order harmful products off store shelves and is only able to issue toothless health advisories.
The earlier legislation, known as bill C-51, prompted a vociferous campaign by some smaller health-products companies that said it would lead to government restrictions on the types of supplements available on the market. The bill died when the election was called. ...more
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Pharmacists OK'd to replace, extend and renew prescriptions
From the Fredericton (NB) Daily Gleaner:
New Brunswickers seeking prescribed medications may no longer have to consult their family doctor, visit the emergency room or go to after-hours clinics.
Due to an amendment made last May to the province's Pharmacy Act, pharmacists now have the power to replace, extend and renew existing prescriptions. They can also issue new prescriptions for pre-existing conditions in emergency situations, as well as alter prescriptions to accommodate special needs.
Similar initiatives are underway in the United Kingdom and across Canada, including in Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.
"I think this is a good news story for New Brunswickers," said Bill Veniot, registrar with the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, at a news conference.
"It's going to provide more access and better access to medications where some patients have had difficulties in getting medication. This will alleviate some of those things." ...more
New Brunswickers seeking prescribed medications may no longer have to consult their family doctor, visit the emergency room or go to after-hours clinics.
Due to an amendment made last May to the province's Pharmacy Act, pharmacists now have the power to replace, extend and renew existing prescriptions. They can also issue new prescriptions for pre-existing conditions in emergency situations, as well as alter prescriptions to accommodate special needs.
Similar initiatives are underway in the United Kingdom and across Canada, including in Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island.
"I think this is a good news story for New Brunswickers," said Bill Veniot, registrar with the New Brunswick Pharmaceutical Society, at a news conference.
"It's going to provide more access and better access to medications where some patients have had difficulties in getting medication. This will alleviate some of those things." ...more
Fort Erie pharmacist is tonight's speaker at Port High Authors Series
From the Welland (Ont.) Tribune:
Sherry Torkos almost fell over at the thought of becoming an author.
It wasn't that she didn't want to.
It was just that she had never thought about the possibility.
Now a decade into it, the Fort Erie pharmacist seems to have come to terms nicely with her second career.
Torkos is the second author to visit Port High as part of the school's authors series this year.
She has written several books in the past decade. The latest is The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
Tonight she will talk about the importance of proper diet in maintaining health, as well as the role of health supplements can play. ...more
Sherry Torkos almost fell over at the thought of becoming an author.
It wasn't that she didn't want to.
It was just that she had never thought about the possibility.
Now a decade into it, the Fort Erie pharmacist seems to have come to terms nicely with her second career.
Torkos is the second author to visit Port High as part of the school's authors series this year.
She has written several books in the past decade. The latest is The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
Tonight she will talk about the importance of proper diet in maintaining health, as well as the role of health supplements can play. ...more
Safety Information Regarding Overdosage of Venlafaxine HCl Extended-Release Capsules
From Health Canada:
Health Canada, and the manufacturers of venlafaxine extended-release (XR) capsules wish to advise Canadians that the prescribing information for venlafaxine XR is being updated to include safety information about the risks of overdose.
Venlafaxine is in a class of medicines called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and is used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) and panic disorder. Venlafaxine XR is sold in Canada under several brand names, including Effexor XR, Co Venlafaxine XR, Gen-Venlafaxine XR, Riva-Venlafaxine XR, Novo Venlafaxine XR, PMS- Venlafaxine XR, Ratio-Venlafaxine XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR.
For Health Professionals
For the Public
Health Canada, and the manufacturers of venlafaxine extended-release (XR) capsules wish to advise Canadians that the prescribing information for venlafaxine XR is being updated to include safety information about the risks of overdose.
Venlafaxine is in a class of medicines called serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and is used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (or social phobia) and panic disorder. Venlafaxine XR is sold in Canada under several brand names, including Effexor XR, Co Venlafaxine XR, Gen-Venlafaxine XR, Riva-Venlafaxine XR, Novo Venlafaxine XR, PMS- Venlafaxine XR, Ratio-Venlafaxine XR, Sandoz Venlafaxine XR.
For Health Professionals
For the Public
Monday, October 27, 2008
Epilepsy drug could help cure Alzheimer's
From the Calgary Herald:
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder significantly reduces brain plaque in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery, if replicated in humans, could lead to major new treatments for the debilitating brain-wasting disease. "If this works . . . it's going to benefit every patient with Alzheimer's disease," said UBC psychiatry professor Weihong Song, who led the study.
Song and his colleagues took mice genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's-like symptoms and then treated them with valproic acid (VPA), a compound usually used as a mood stabilizer or anti-convulsant.
They found the drug reduced the formation of plaque on the mice's brains, which in turn led to less brain-cell death and improved performance on memory tests. "It's very, very significant," said Song.
"There's a striking inhibition of the plaque formation." ...more
Researchers at the University of B.C. have discovered that a drug commonly used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder significantly reduces brain plaque in mice with Alzheimer's disease.
The discovery, if replicated in humans, could lead to major new treatments for the debilitating brain-wasting disease. "If this works . . . it's going to benefit every patient with Alzheimer's disease," said UBC psychiatry professor Weihong Song, who led the study.
Song and his colleagues took mice genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's-like symptoms and then treated them with valproic acid (VPA), a compound usually used as a mood stabilizer or anti-convulsant.
They found the drug reduced the formation of plaque on the mice's brains, which in turn led to less brain-cell death and improved performance on memory tests. "It's very, very significant," said Song.
"There's a striking inhibition of the plaque formation." ...more
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