The health benefits of the ‘Mediterranean Diet’ is more fad than facts

 By Dr. John Sloan It's hard to find anyone these days who doesn't hate junk food. And an awful lot of people also swear by something called the Mediterranean Diet, often considered junk food’s opposite. Everyone is convinced: junk food is killing us; the Mediterranean Diet will come to the

Compulsory insurance does not create affordable access to prescription drugs

 By Steve Morgan New Brunswick has opportunity to reduce pharmaceutical drug prices dramatically with a single payer system. The Liberal government of New Brunswick appears to be stepping back from the brink of mandatory prescription drug insurance. And so they should. The Conservatives had pitched the drug plan as a

Why Do We Have So Few Midwives In Canada?

 Canada’s Lack of Midwifery Capacity is Costing the Healthcare System I once interviewed a midwife from the UK who questioned why it is that we are so unique when it comes to birthing in Canada. She said, “it is not like you Canadians have maple syrup coming out of your

Health in all Policies Approach Gaining Traction Across Political Spectrum in Canada

 By Danyaal Raza and Ryan Meili When counselling patients on health, physicians often focus on lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise or smoking. This kind of advice can be important for the individual, but does little to change underlying drivers of health like income, education and employment. These factors are

Look to Alberta Today, Not 20 Years Ago, for Guidance on Private MRIs

 Allowing private MRI clinics does not shorten wait times in public system  This past week, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall took to twitter to ask the question “Is it time to allow people to pay for their own private MRIs in Saskatchewan like they can do in Alberta?” This came after

Is it Time to Allow Assisted Suicide?

 Most Canadians do not have access to comprehensive palliative care This week, the Supreme Court of Canada has been hearing an appeal by the B.C. Civil Liberties Association that could grant terminally ill Canadians the right to assisted suicide. With this impending ruling and the passing of Bill 52 in

Now There is Proof for the “Angelina Jolie Effect”

 Breast cancer screening for rare genetic mutations doubles. Up to this point, it had only been a hypothesis: that celebrity fire-power can definitively drive consumer health behaviour in a certain direction. The case here concerns whether women wish to embark on a genetic hunting expedition to see if they are

How Communities can Work Together to Prevent Suicide

 The death of comedian Robin Williams last month sparked a worldwide discussion about suicide, its underlying causes and how it might be prevented. With World Suicide Prevention Day taking place September 10, the subject is certain to generate more debate as people seek to understand this important health issue. Having

Canada Slow to Respond to Prescription Opioid Crisis

 In my first career as a pharmacist, I worked in more than 30 pharmacies across Nova Scotia, filling more than 100,000 prescriptions between 1990 and 1995. Some of these were for strong painkillers called opioids--drugs like morphine and oxycodone, which are chemically and biologically very similar to heroin. Back then,

Report Card on Wait Times in Canada Omits Important Developments

 Canadians might have been inclined to take a sedative for an anxiety attack after reading about the Wait Time Alliance’s (WTA) 2014 report card on waits for medical care in Canada. The WTA gives Canada a failing grade on the structural changes it says are needed to have the timely