Health Minister Rona Ambrose (Edmonton-Spruce Grove, Alta.) learned first-hand the challenges of delivering healthcare in a busy urban hospital. The minister joined medical residents at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto by spending time with them as they delivered frontline care. In addition, the minister also discussed a range of issues, such as patient care, patient … Read more
Health Canada has seized the unauthorized drug, “L-Showm Weight Loss Pills”, being sold at the U-Box store, located at 2809-4500 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC. Health Canada testing found that it contained an undisclosed ingredient, phenolphthalein. Phenolphthalein, which was previously used as a laxative, is no longer authorized for sale in Canada because it may cause cancer. Additional … Read more
Health Minister Rona Ambrose (Edmonton-Spruce Grove, Alta.) delivered on a commitment to begin transparently publishing drug safety reviews. The minister committed to providing Canadians with access to Health Canada drug safety reviews with the posting of a summary of the safety review of the acne treatment Diane-35. This is the first summary safety review to be made public. Once … Read more
The Government of Canada tabled new legislation intended to improve the level of protection for workers handling hazardous materials in the workplace. The proposed legislative changes to the Hazardous Products Act (HPA) are an important step in Canada’s implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) for workplace chemicals, a … Read more
Emergency contraceptive pills, also known as the “morning after” pill, will soon carry new warnings about reduced effectiveness in women weighing over 165 pounds. Health Canada has asked companies to add new warnings to product packages advising that these pills are less effective in women weighing 165 to 176 pounds (75-80 kg), and are not effective in … Read more
A statement was issued by Health Canada regarding the decision in Allard et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. “Health Canada is committed to the implementation of the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations in order to provide Canadians reasonable access to dried marijuana for medical purposes, while protecting public safety. Health Canada … Read more
Health Minister Rona Ambrose (Edmonton-Spruce Grove, Alta.) met with the Advisory Council on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to discuss TCM products available in Canada. She was joined by Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment Colin Carrie (Oshawa, Ont.) Items on the meeting agenda included recent TCM initiatives, an overview of veterinary TCM products, and TCM products imported and marketed as … Read more
Health Canada is updating hospitals and purchasers for clinics, homecare and hospices that no new intravenous infusion pumps manufactured by Hospira Inc. will be available for sale or distribution until the company completes corrective measures to address ongoing design and quality concerns. In March 2013, Hospira voluntarily stopped all sales of its infusion pumps. While progress has … Read more
Health Canada is informing Canadians that when Abbott FreeStyle glucose test strips are used with the devices listed below, there is a potential for users to receive a lower-than-actual blood sugar reading. False low blood sugar readings may lead to improper treatment decisions for users, such as increasing the consumption of sugar or not taking enough … Read more
Health Minister Rona Ambrose (Edmonton-Spruce Grove, Alta.) committed to increased palliative care training to help Canadians receive the compassionate palliative care they need. Funding is being provided to the Pallium Foundation of Canada for an initiative called, Building the Future of Palliative Care Together, which aims to strengthen the community of clinicians, caregivers, educators, administrators, volunteers, … Read more
