Health Minister Leonna Aglukkaq (Nunavut) and Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney (Levis-Bellechasse, QC) said the government gave final approval for tough new warning labels on cigarettes and little cigar packages. Tobacco manufacturers and importers have been given until March 21, 2012 to transition to the new labels, while retailers will have until June 19, 2012 … Read more
Health Canada is informing health professionals and patients of updated recommendations involving the use of Plavix in combination with a class of drugs known as proton pump inhibitors. New evidence has shown that while PPIs do interact with Plavix, not all reduce the effectiveness of Plavix to the same degree. Plavix (the brand name for … Read more
Health Canada is advising Canadians of the outcome of its comprehensive safety review of the heart-surgery drug Trasylol (the brand name for aprotinin). After careful review, Health Canada has concluded that the benefits of Trasylol outweigh the risks when Trasylol is used as authorized by Health Canada. Trasylol is authorized for patients undergoing Coronary Artery … Read more
Following information that a Toronto Company, ACCU-METRICS, has been advertising HIV home test kits for sale via their website, Health Canada would like to remind Canadians that there are currently no HIV test kits that have been authorized for home use in Canada. The Accu-HIV 1 & 2 Saliva Test, or any other HIV home … Read more
Health Canada is informing health professionals and patients about a possible increased risk of certain heart-related events in men being treated for prostate cancer with a type of prescription drug known as a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonist. There have been reports of heart attacks, stroke and heart-related deaths in patients treated with GnRH agonists for prostate … Read more
According to new statistics released, the smoking rate in Canada has dropped to 17% in 2010. This is the lowest level ever recorded, according to annual results of the 2010 Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq (Nunavut) said that the numbers announced are encouraging, as they show more Canadians are making the … Read more
Health Canada is reminding consumers about the potential risk associated with the use of gel fuels and fire pots. Pourable gel fuels can ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people and objects nearby when they are poured into a firepot that is still burning or still hot. Gel fuels that splatter and ignite can pose fire … Read more
Health Canada is reminding parents of the importance of allergy awareness when packing lunches for their children. Severe allergic reactions can occur quickly and without warning, and some foods can be life-threatening to allergic children. Foods account for most children's allergies, with peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, soy, seafood (such as fish, crustaceans and shellfish), wheat, … Read more
Wing Quon Enterprises Ltd has initiated a stop sale and is voluntarily recalling a natural health product, Bi Yan Pian (NPN# 80023876) from the Canadian market after the product was found to contain an excessive amount of mercury. Ingestion of excessive amounts of mercury poses serious health risks because it may accumulate in vital organs … Read more
Health Canada is reminding Canadians of the serious potential health risks of using donor semen for assisted conception obtained through potentially unreliable sources, such as the Internet. Donor Semen obtained through questionable means may not have been appropriately screened and tested, and therefore may not be safe. Canadians who are considering using donor semen for … Read more
