Prevention

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.

Ontario’s health care needs courageous leadership, not political appeasement

Ontario’s health-care system is crumbling. We can cling to outdated ideals and watch our system collapse under its own weight, or we can rewrite the playbook.

Boutique primary care clinics are making the family doctor shortage worse

Boutique clinics are not the future of health care. They are a step backward and are making primary care access worse.

Should pregnant women take omega-3 supplements? The truth is, it depends

A simple question – should pregnant women take an omega-3 supplement – provokes a very complex answer.

‘We have to be very cautious’: Experts speak out on dangers of avian flu outbreak

We asked a group of experts how concerned we need to be in light of the recent H5N1 infection in B.C., and what – if anything – we should do about it. 

A plea to maskless health-care workers from vulnerable patients

Health-care workers have a responsibility to protect their vulnerable patients. Our lives are in your hands.

No Minister Jones, pharmacists are not physicians

Pharmacists do not have adequate clinical training to diagnose and prescribe. Ontario’s physicians have ideas to boost family physician numbers. Premier Doug Ford only need ask.

Tackling the sepsis ‘beast’: New treatment aims to save lives

Researchers have developed a new treatment to block inflammation, supercharge the white blood cells’ ability to kill bacteria, and protect against heart and lung failure.

Facing up to life’s challenges

"Despite setbacks like injuries and losses, I am eager to embark on a new chapter of my life, transitioning from being a professional athlete to pursuing academia and becoming a doctor."

It’s time to make compassion more relevant in our world

A generative compassion approach looks at the bigger picture and proactively asks the question: What more needs to be done to prevent more harm from occurring?

Vaping: A valuable harm reduction tool or a public health concern? Experts weigh in

What is Canada to do about e-cigarettes? Does vaping pose a legitimate public health threat or is it a far safer alternative for those who would otherwise be vulnerable to the known harms of cigarettes?

Ethical issues cloud online Ozempic prescription services

Patients with obesity are caught in the middle of two ethical issues rooted in weight bias – the reason the online services exist and the online services themselves.

Privilege. Blame. Allyship. Reflecting on reconciliation as a non-Indigenous physician

CMA president Joss Reimer writes, "As individuals, we may not be responsible for what happened in the past. But we are responsible for what happens in the future."

Fluoride in Canadian taps: Is it ethical to neglect the oral needs of the marginalized?

The cessation of community water fluoridation has left a gap in the oral health landscape, particularly among vulnerable populations.

‘We shouldn’t have to work 2 or 3 jobs to survive’: Lisa Allen, personal care attendant, St. John

May 1 is Doctors’ Day. My thanks go to patients, students and physician colleagues

Doctors’ Day (May 1) is really about all those in medicine working together to make our health-care system better for all. We just need politicians and policy makers to step out of the way.

Droplet or airborne? WHO says it’s ‘through the air’ 

The WHO is slowly moving forward on airborne transmission. But language changes seem forced, unnecessary and only seem to benefit those who were unable to use the word "airborne" early in the pandemic.

Cycling and safer roads: Improving public health through urban planning

Urban infrastructure has a significant impact on road incident fatalities. Health-care institutions have the ability to help curtail these deaths and improve public health.

‘Just a pinch’: Women frustrated as medical community downplays pain of IUD insertion

Thousands of TikTok rants, viral tweets, petitions and peer-reviewed studies have documented the insufficient pain relief offered for IUD insertions. So, what is the response from Canadian medicine to this outcry? Practically nothing.