OTTAWA –
A new plan to force hospitals to report adverse effects of “natural health products” such as herbal remedies and supplements has come as a surprise to manufacturers, who say they were blindsided by the proposed change.
The federal government included the plan in the 2023 budget bill, which is still making its way through the House of Commons.
It would seem that natural health products fall under the same category as pharmaceuticals when it comes to how they are monitored once they are on the market.
They would be incorporated into Vanessa’s Law, which was passed in 2014…
health news this week
Health workers slam newly privatized Alberta hospital cafeterias over empty shelves, quality
Some health-care workers say the privatization of hospital cafeterias in Calgary and Edmonton has led to empty shelves, higher prices and a dramatic degradation in the quality of the food available to patients, staff and visitors.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) contracted vendors to run the food retail service at hospitals in both cities last year and the outsourcing of those operations has taken place over the last few months.
“Everything seems to be fatty, carb-y, and just congealed,” said Dr. Stephanie Cooper, an obstetrician who works at Foothills Medical Centre.
AHS is acknowledging that it has received complaints and says…
Mental Health Matters: QPR, three letters that can save someone in crisis
MIAMI – A frank conversation at the University of Miami during Mental Health Awareness Month was aimed at raising awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention.
“I’m someone who has dealt with suicide ideation since I was a teenager,” Lisa Leseur told a group of UM administrators, faculty members and students.
Leseur is the programs coordinator for the Miami-Dade chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She visits local schools and businesses to train employees and students on QPR, Question, Persuade and Refer. Three skills are needed if someone mentors a friend, co-worker or fellow student with suicidal…
Eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia are more severe than ever
The pandemic worsened the incidence of anxiety and depression — both are risk factors for triggering or worsening eating disorders.
While eating disorder-related visits dipped slightly after a peak in 2021, they’re nowhere near pre-pandemic levels as adolescents and younger teens cope with the after-effects of Covid, such as grieving for family members who have died, falling behind in school or losing touch with friends.
And the patients coming in with eating disorders are in a more serious condition now, with both mental and physical symptoms appearing more urgent, experts say.
“They’re sicker than before, and they’re more complicated than…
Canadians losing confidence in free health care: Poll
Canadians are reportedly losing faith in the public health care system, years after the pandemic ravaged hospitals and shuttered emergency rooms, a new survey suggests.
The findings, published Friday by public opinion research firm Research Co., found the number of Canadians confident the health care system will support them dropped 10 per cent from 18 months ago.
“I think the drop in confidence is really surprising,” said Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “… You have essentially a third of Canadians who say, ‘I don’t want to get sick because I don’t think the system is going to be there…
Morgan Medlock out as head of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration
Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration has a new interim commissioner less than a year after it was officially launched.
The administration opened shop in July under the Colorado Department of Human Services, and is meant to coordinate and improve the state’s mental health and addiction programs.
Its first commissioner, Dr. Morgan Medlock, was chief medical officer and director of crisis and emergency services for the Washington, DC, Department of Behavioral Health before being recruited to Colorado in January 2022.
Michelle Barnes, executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services, will take over as interim head of the administration. While she’s…