Musings

By Thomson Reuters Innovative Medicines Canada asks federal government to use 'tools' to stop bulk exports Chris Wattie/Reuters A pharmacist counts prescription drugs at the CentreTown Pharmacy in Ottawa. Innovative Medicines Canada is urging the federal government to get ahead of a U.S. plan to export Canadian drugs in bulk. Canada's main pharmaceutical lobby group has urged the government not to wait for drug shortages before responding to U.S. plans to import Canadian drugs, according to documents seen by Reuters. More

By Amina Zafar · CBC News Three chemotherapy cancer drugs face national shortages, putting pressure on health care providers Gerry Broome/The Associated Press Oncologists say drug shortages are becoming more frequent in Canada. Health Canada told CBC News it 'recognizes the impact that these shortages have on the patients who rely on these important medications and is taking action to address them.' Cancer specialists are concerned national shortages of three vital cancer drugs could lead to a time when they could run out of treatment options for patients in Canada. More

By British Medical Journal CC0 Public Domain Nations with strong women's rights are more likely to have better health and faster growth than those who don't promote and protect these values, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open. More at Phys.org

By Peter Zimonjic · CBC News · Recently revamped guide is 'based on evidence, based on science, based on research,' PM says Chris Young/Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, is dismissing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer's attack on the Canada Food Guide insisting his government's update to the guid is based on evidence. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's update to the Canada Food Guide in the wake of attacks by Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer who suggested the changes were riddled with "bias" and driven by "ideology." More at CBC News

By Beth Mole Just three drug makers and six distributors were behind the flood. Getty | Bloomberg Enlarge / Members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters hold signs while protesting during the McKesson Corp. annual meeting at the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce in Irving, Texas, US, on Wednesday, July 26, 2017. Between 2006 and 2012, opioid drug makers and distributors flooded the country with 76 billion pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone—highly addictive opioid pain medications that sparked the epidemic of abuse and overdoses that killed nearly 100,000 people in that time period. More at Ars Technica Opinion: Capitalism at work. Don't stop where the ink does.

Shutterstock Understanding the human microbiome will lead to breakthroughs in health care, including treatments for ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome. Microbes are part of humans from the initial stage of development and play an important role in the functioning of the human body. The human microbiome is composed of viruses, bacteria and fungi residing in communities within and on the body. More at The Conversation

By Katherine Breward Crew/Unsplash Providing workers who have autism with a quiet workspace and detailed instructions on tasks are among several accommodation strategies for employers. Companies seek a competitive edge by hiring talented people, yet many capable workers are overlooked because they have autism. More at The Conversation

By Thomson Reuters · Consumption of sugary drinks is linked to obesity, which itself increases cancer risks Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press Sugary drinks are seen at a store in Montreal in 2017. A large study in France suggests that limiting intake of sugar-sweetened drinks may help to cut the number of cancer cases in a population. People who drink a lot of sugary drinks have a higher risk of developing cancer, although the evidence cannot establish a direct causal link, researchers said. More at CBC News

Shutterstock Coverage for essential and effective medications would be the “ounce of prevention” that is worth a pound of cure in our cash-strapped Canadian health-care system. Almost one million Canadians cut their household spending on food and heat to pay for medication in 2016, according to research presented in the recent final report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare: A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All. And one in five households reported a family member who was prevented from taking a prescribed medicine due to its cost. More at The Conversation

By Scott Lear Shutterstock Exercising in hot weather adds stress to the body and comes with risk of heat exhaustion. With summer comes longer days and sunnier skies. It’s an opportunity to shed our winter clothes and get outside to go for a run, get on a bike or play pick-up sports with friends. Indeed, summer is when we are most active. More at The Conversation

By Ed Cara Getty Images A liquid preparation of kratom, also known as Mitragyna speciosa The herbal remedy kratom, often touted as an alternative treatment for opioid withdrawal or chronic pain, is in for more bad publicity. This week, scientists published yet more research showing that the plant is linked to reported dangerous side effects like seizures and deaths. Some people also appear to go through withdrawal when off kratom, much like conventional opioids. More at Gizmodo

By Morgan Modjeski · CBC News · Provincial and territorial leaders across Canada are in Saskatoon this week Morgan Modjeski/CBC News A banner asking people what they wish they learned in sex ed was on display and could be signed by anyone at an event outside of the Delta Bessborough calling on premiers to invest in better sex education in Canada on Wednesday. Sex education saves lives. That's the message advocates outside of the Council of Confederation tried to deliver to provincial and territorial leaders in Saskatoon on Wednesday. Launched by Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, the #SexEdSavesLives campaign calls on all levels of government to take urgent action, as the group argues sex ed in Canada is "sub-standard, inconsistent, and poorly implemented." More at CBC News

By The Associated Press · Opioid addiction changes the brain in ways that even when people quit can leave them vulnerable to relapse Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse, works in the MRI lab at the National Institutes of Health’s research hospital in Bethesda, Md., in May. U.S. government scientists are starting to peek into the brains of people caught in the opioid epidemic, to see if medicines proven to treat addiction, like methadone, do more than ease the cravings and withdrawal. Do they also heal a brain damaged by addiction? And which one works best for which patient? More at Health - CBC

By Ed Cara Getty Images There are lots of things you can do to keep your heart healthy and hopefully live longer. But a new review suggests that most dietary changes and supplements won’t move the needle much, if at all. Some supplements might even slightly increase your chances of a stroke. More at Gizmodo

By Hannah Thibedeau · CBC News · Liberal government says it's 'committed to doing everything within its jurisdiction' to stop the practice Patrick Doyle/Canadian Press Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks at a Pride flag-raising ceremony alongside MP Randy Boissonnault on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 20, 2018. The federal government is reviewing possible reforms to the Criminal Code to address conversion therapy. The federal government is calling on all provincial governments to stop conversion therapy while it considers changes to the Criminal Code to block the practice. More at CBC News

By Thomson Reuters · Both adult and pediatric doses of Symjepi to be available immediately Sandoz Symjepi delivers epinephrine, a critical medicine in the event of severe allergic reactions. A unit of Novartis AG said it would make partner Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp's emergency allergy shots immediately available in local pharmacies across the United States, amid a U.S. shortage of Mylan NV's rival product, EpiPen. More at Health - CBC

By John Oates Suggested reading: Making Your Last Will and Testament Patients in the UK will be able to use Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to search for information from the National Health Service's website. More at The Register

By Paula Duhatschek · CBC News · Funding will support new grads, help clinics upgrade technology: Elliott Paula Duhatschek/CBC Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott announced Monday an additional $28 million for midwifery care across the province. She said that brings the government's investment into midwives to $178 million this year. Also at the announcement was Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris. The Ontario government has pledged $28 million to expand midwifery services throughout the province. More at CBC News

By Miriam Katawazi · CBC News · Ottawa shelter designed specifically for military veterans struggling with homelessness CSV Architects About 14 months of construction begins in August on Veterans' House, a home specifically designed to meet the needs of military veterans. The federal government will announce financial support for Canada's first shelter designed specifically for homeless veterans Tuesday, a month before construction is scheduled to start. More at CBC News

By Vik Adhopia · CBC News · National body responds to complaints that the term is being misused Shutterstock Family physicians are concerned terminology associated with their profession such as 'family medicine' or 'medical practice' are being misused by people who are not medical doctors. Family physicians are concerned that terminology associated with their profession — such as "family medicine" — could be misused by people who are not medical doctors, according to the results of an informal internal poll by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. More at Health - CBC