E-cigarettes facing first rules in US
E-cigarettes facing first rules in US By Pat Rich May 21, 2014 Change appears to be on the horizon for Americans who use new tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes. Use of the products, which has been growing quickly and totals about $2 billion in annual sales south of the border, is currently unregulated in […]
Medical marijuana: New rules and a ‘ton of confusion’
Physicians reluctant to become gatekeepers for those who want legal access to pot Medical marijuana users across Canada can be forgiven for being confused right now. First, they thought that with the new medical marijuana regime that comes into effect tomorrow, they would lose their ability to grow their own legal pot at home and […]
Article Foretelling Dark Future for Canadians Who Study Medicine Abroad Reprehensible
According to a recent article entitled “False Hope for Canadians Who Study Medicine Abroad” from the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research by Barer, Evans and Hedden, – Canadians that choose to study Medicine abroad should not expect any special consideration, and can expect an unpleasant outcome in their efforts to re-enter Canada to practice medicine. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/7/552.extract?cited-by=yes&legid=cmaj;186/7/552 Much of the article’s […]
Short of recruits, not patients: geriatric medicine strives for “critical mass”
by Patrick Sullivan March 19, 2014 As Canada deals with a sharp increase in the number of frail, elderly patients, the medical subspecialty that was created to care for these patients is proving a hard sell with new physicians. “There are only 242 certified geriatricians in Canada,” says Dr. Frank Molnar, who represents the Canadian […]
Foreign physicians moving to Canada are facing more competition from Canadian graduates
Foreign physicians planning on a move to Canada are facing more competition from newly trained Canadian medical graduates – it is time to broaden employment search options beyond Canada’s major urban centres. The Canadian Institute for Health Information says there were more than 72,500 physicians caring for patients in 2011, a rise of 14% since […]
Quebec’s ‘dying with dignity’ law would set new standards
Bill 52 follows European, not U.S. models for end of life, unbearable suffering criteria By Janet Davison, CBC News Posted: Feb 17, 2014 5:00 AM ET Should Quebec’s national assembly pass — as early as this week — the proposed legislation to allow medical aid in dying, it will be setting in place a law that appears to take much of its […]
MDs avoiding social media in droves: poll
The majority of Canadian physicians are avoiding the use of social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook for professional purposes because they anticipate too many pitfalls and too few benefits, a new CMA poll shows. The results, from a recent survey involving the CMA’s ePanel, offer a detailed assessment of MDs’ use of social […]
How much do you make? Nova Scotia doctors want to know
Pilot project hopes to help patients with their finances Healthcare workers in Nova Scotia may soon be asking patients how much money they earn so doctors can point low-income patients towards support. The practice of linking poverty and health is already happening in Ontario and Manitoba. “Patients tell us really personal things all the time. […]
Have scalpel, will travel: Alberta surgeons operate abroad to bypass wait times
Patient pays $40,000 to get knee replacement in Turks and Caicos. Retired nurse Marlene Driscoll spent the holiday season celebrating a different kind of gift: a brand new knee, delivered by her Calgary surgeon at a private hospital in the Caribbean. The December surgery came with a hefty price tag of about $40,000 for the […]
MDs Fear Pressure to OK Pot Use
Use of medical marijuana expected to explode with rule changes The organization that regulates physicians in Manitoba is worried recent federal rule changes governing medical marijuana will place more pressure on doctors to authorize its use. The province’s MDs have generally been resistant to helping patients become registered to legally use a drug most see […]
