Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

Is the red dye ban a case of virtue signalling?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent announcement that Red 3 will be banned will go down in history as the very definition of a red herring.

Rising HIV cases in Canada: Putting the numbers in perspective

The rise in HIV infections over the last several years might indicate that the public health system has failed in containing the virus. But the raw numbers don’t tell the full story.

Barriers to Paxlovid are exacerbating our health inequities

Access to Paxlovid has become increasingly challenging. Canada needs to do a better job at making it more accessible to those who would benefit most.

The future of prescriptions: Pharmacogenomic testing on the verge of revolutionizing health care

With the growing trend of using genomic information to personalize care, is there a type of testing that can tell us whether medications we have been prescribed are actually working?

Move fast and fix things: Canada can’t afford pharmacare delays

A limited national pharmacare plan passed into law recently, but so far it is only a small step toward universal, comprehensive, public drug coverage.

Where are the patient voices in Canada’s pharmaceutical system?

While federal health priorities focus on areas such as pharmaceutical use, data infrastructure and connected care, the central priority – patients’ experiences and needs – remains neglected.

TBT – Atrial Fibrillation

Food oral immunotherapy through a parent’s lens: A paradigm shift in food allergy management

A case study highlights the importance of the patient’s perspective in navigating food allergies and of advocating for yourself in the face of scarce resources.

Episode 82 – Airway Management in Acute Poisoning and the PALACE Trial

Drug importation plan is a ‘win-win,’ claims Florida health official

Florida’s plan is a win-win for both Canada and Florida. It will relieve pressure on an already overburdened government health-care system, and bring millions of dollars in new business to Canada.

Florida’s ‘quick fix’: Instead of looking to Canada for cheaper drugs, U.S. should regulate its own prices

We appreciate that Americans need access to affordable drugs. But taking them from Canada is not a fair, sustainable or equitable solution.

Episode 80 – Clarithromycin for Inflammation and Probiotics for Recurrent UTIs

TBT – Chronic Kidney Disease

Episode 77 – The Top 5 Papers of 2023

TBT – The Top Papers of 2022

Episode 76 – Ceftobiprole for S. aureus Bacteremia and PEN-FAST

Vanessa’s Law expansion puts natural health products in their place

Vanessa’s Law,” mandates hospitals to report serious adverse events that may have originated from medications and medical devices. This year it was expanded to include Natural Health Products, a move that should have been made long ago.

Turning back the tide: The challenge of antimicrobial resistance and its impact on our health

As antimicrobial stewardship clinicians, we implement system-level interventions and engage with prescribers to promote behaviour change in antimicrobial use. It's not too late to turn back the tide on antimicrobial resistance, but we must start now.

There is no quick fix for chronic pain but there is a path forward

Patients need to be at the centre of their own care, and they need to manage their pain for what it is, a chronic disease. The time to reimagine chronic pain care is now – we can’t afford not to and the millions of suffering Canadians can’t afford to wait.

Episode 73 – Oral Semaglutide in Obesity and Enoxaparin for Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis