As Syrian hospitals are destroyed daily, the world’s apathy is horrifying
The images shown in the media of parents crying over their lost children, of civilians being attacked in a war they didn’t sign up for, of bodies left in the streets are not an exaggeration. I cannot shake the image of water washing down the steps of a building, tainted red with the blood of […]
Sharing a wealth of information: how regulators can improve fracking disclosure practices
Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is a technology employed in the production of oil and gas from unconventional shale formations. The technology has become ubiquitous, with tens of thousands of fracking wells drilled worldwide over the past decade. Fracking often takes place in relatively populated areas, thus posing an array of risks to public health such as […]
New medical marijuana regulations should allow pharmacist dispensing
Health Minister Jane Philpott has a golden opportunity later this month to improve access and safety for medical marijuana patients and Canadian pharmacists hope she will take it. By amending the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) to allow pharmacists to dispense medical marijuana, Canadians would have a safe, reliable and convenient alternative to mail-order […]
Want to improve a child’s health? Sometimes that may mean giving their parents a raise
When parents bring a child into the clinic, they do so hoping for help to treat an acute illness or a longer-term problem. It might be something as simple as an ear infection, a chronic illness like asthma, or something more socially and psychologically complex such as ADHD. The expectation is that the child can […]
Health Minister Philpott headed to South Africa for AIDS conference
Health Minister Jane Philpott is heading to Durban, South Africa, later this week ahead of the 21st International AIDS Conference to discuss HIV and AIDS research in Canada to a large crowd of top international researchers, activists, and government representatives. The conference, taking place from July 18-22 at the Durban International Convention Centre, is said […]
Value and the cost of medicines working together for a sustainable health-care system
Everyone can agree that when Canadians are in good physical and mental health, they are able to be more productive, contribute to our society and our economy, and most importantly, live healthier, happier lives. And, most would agree that access to medicines is a key element in achieving optimal health for Canadians. We recognize that […]
Having had a taste of independence, Senators will likely crave more
MONTREAL—In the end, the Senate battle over medically assisted suicide ended not with a bang but with a whimper. On Friday, the Upper House reluctantly deferred to the will of the House of Commons on the issue of medically assisted death by a margin of 44 to 28. The result was not even close. Canada’s […]
Canada has fallen behind, panel on mental health in prisons says
Underfunded, under resourced, unseen, and inadequately supported. These were the words panellists at Wednesday’s Senate Liberal Open Caucus used to describe investments in mental health at Canadian correctional facilities. “Canada has fallen behind,” said Gary Chaimowitz, professor at McMaster University and Chair of the Psychiatry Section of the Ontario Medical Association. Reflecting on the fact […]
Intellectual property debated in Ottawa as feds host trade deal consultations
The debate over intellectual property rights in Canadian health care continues as the government holds public consultations on a major Pacific rim trade deal. Yesterday, Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.,) held a “town hall” on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership at the University of Toronto. The Trudeau government signed the deal in February but says it […]
No one-size-fits-all approach to addiction
OTTAWA—Earlier this week, my Hill Times colleague Abbas Rana reported that former fisheries minister Hunter Tootoo, who recently resigned from cabinet to seek treatment for addiction issues, was at the GreeneStone Clinic in Ontario. That was the place where the late Rob Ford went to heal. Knowledge of Tootoo’s whereabouts reignited a debate about how […]
