In a recent press release, the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) called for pharmacists to be more involved in the dispensing of medical marijuana. According to Phil Emberley, their Director of Professional Affairs, “Pharmacists are the safest and best equipped to provide clinical advice to patients and provide appropriate oversight. Pharmacist involvement in dispensing of medical marijuana would help identify potential problems such as drug interactions, alternative therapies, contraindications and potential addictive behavior, and provide the opportunity for patient counselling on appropriate use. As well, pharmacists have an existing infrastructure that is already in place to handle controlled substances and have a secure supply chain to limit diversion.”

The announcement was an opportunity to update their position on the dispensation of medical marijuana by not only providing patient safety and support through pharmacist involvement, but to take the lead role as a primary distributor. They supported their statements with data provided by Abacus Data and KPMG reports.

However, the Canadian Medical Cannabis Industry Association (CMCIA) issued a response to the CPhA just seven hours later. “Pharmacy may be a valuable additional option for patients in the future, but as a complement, not as a replacement to the existing, successful direct access system,” said Neil Closner, newly-elected Chair of CMCIA. “Distribution only via pharmacies would reduce access and product choice, and raise costs to patients, and could also increase the risk of diversion.”

Colette Rivet, Executive Director of CMCIA added, “We are pleased pharmacy is now recognizing the valuable role medical cannabis plays in helping patients deal with chronic conditions, particularly since they chose not to participate in the medical cannabis system when the MMPR was introduced in 2013.”

The CPhA’s announcement also prompted responses from patient advocacy groups and the current licensed producers who had concerns about patient access to the assorted varieties of medical cannabis for particular health needs, and for those patients licensed for self-production.

The CMCIA further stated they “will be reaching out to the CPhA to begin a dialogue on how pharmacists and pharmacy can work with Licensed Producers of medical cannabis, physicians, patients and other stakeholders to expand patients’ access to regulated, affordable products.”

The UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has proposed that labels be changed on prepared snack foods to detail how much exercise would be required to “burn off” the equivalent calories consumed. In a recent commentary for the British Medical Journal, RSPH chief executive Shirley Cramer noted that current label information listing the amount of calories has not been a deterrent to the overconsumption of high calorie processed foods and snacks which cause obesity and a host of related health problems for kids and adults. “We need to be creative… in your face… so this is a tactic, or a strategy, in the war on obesity,” she said.

Cramer believes that using icons instead of words may be more effective. “People find symbols much easier to understand than numerical information, and activity equivalent calorie labels are easy to understand, particularly for lower socioeconomic groups who often lack nutritional knowledge and health literacy,” Cramer wrote in her commentary. “For example, the calories in a can of fizzy drink take a person of average age and weight about 26 minutes to walk off.”

The RSPH has stated that changing the labels may help change people’s eating behaviour when they see how much exercise is required for consuming just one snack. In theory, it sounds workable but critics of this idea don’t like that it is a calorie-centric approach that ignores the many benefits of exercise beyond burning calories. Others feel that it could lead some to choose nutritionally deficient snack foods over healthier foods with the same amount of calories and miss out on potential benefits of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the healthier foods would contain.

The UK’s Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has proposed that labels be changed on prepared snack foods to detail how much exercise would be required to “burn off” the equivalent calories consumed. In a recent commentary for the British Medical Journal, RSPH chief executive Shirley Cramer noted that current label information listing the amount of calories has not been a deterrent to the overconsumption of high calorie processed foods and snacks which cause obesity and a host of related health problems for kids and adults. “We need to be creative… in your face… so this is a tactic, or a strategy, in the war on obesity,” she said.

Cramer believes that using icons instead of words may be more effective. “People find symbols much easier to understand than numerical information, and activity equivalent calorie labels are easy to understand, particularly for lower socioeconomic groups who often lack nutritional knowledge and health literacy,” Cramer wrote in her commentary. “For example, the calories in a can of fizzy drink take a person of average age and weight about 26 minutes to walk off.”

The RSPH has stated that changing the labels may help change people’s eating behaviour when they see how much exercise is required for consuming just one snack. In theory, it sounds workable but critics of this idea don’t like that it is a calorie-centric approach that ignores the many benefits of exercise beyond burning calories. Others feel that it could lead some to choose nutritionally deficient snack foods over healthier foods with the same amount of calories and miss out on potential benefits of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants the healthier foods would contain.

France is expected to join a growing list of countries and territories banning the sale of glyphosate, a chemical herbicide first sold as a product called Roundup by Monsanto in the 1970s. According to a news release by Reuters, France’s health and safety agency ANSES is going to withdraw authorization for it, which, most believe, means an outright ban is coming soon.

Glyphosate has been in widespread use since it was first introduced into agriculture, and health regulators generally agreed it had no serious adverse effects for human contact, that is until The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it was a probable carcinogen last year. The WHO made the declaration in March 2015 causing uproar in the media and perhaps amongst health agencies that immediately banned glyphosate in countries such as El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Bermuda and Columbia.

The herbicide remains in general use across the globe although many countries are now taking a closer look due to reports on glyphosate’s impact on the environment. More disturbing are recent reports that a 2014 meta-analysis of the previous reviews of scientific data found a correlation between occupational exposure to glyphosate formulations and increased risk of B cell lymphoma, the most prevalent form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Workers exposed to glyphosate were found to be almost twice as likely to get B cell lymphoma.

Further studies are already in process as health agencies worldwide again review the scientific data for human, animal and environmental safety.

In a document, released by Price Waterhouse Coopers, millennial shoppers are helping shape the future of retail, while Chinese consumers are way ahead of North Americans in using mobile phones for online shopping.

The professional services giant undertook a survey in 25 countries and territories with nearly 23,000 online shoppers to explore the global consumer shopping experience. Their report promises “nothing short of a revolution” and their eight primary insights are very interesting.

Here are IHR’s picks for the information from the PWC Total Retail 2016 Global Report we think are most helpful to our health retailers:

1. Price is still king. Consumers in most countries will buy from out-of-country online retailers for a lower price.
2. The mobile phone is increasingly being used for purchases, researching products and competitive pricing. China leads in purchases over mobile phones at 69 per cent compared to just 22 per cent of North Americans.
3. Consumers believe what would improve their store experience the most is more knowledgeable sales associates.
4. Millennial shoppers like to feel part of a community, so loyalty-based membership discounts or perks are what they’re looking for.
5. Social media still has a large influence on consumers’ buying decisions by providing consumers with reviews, comments and interactive feedback before they buy.

So, all you have to do is have your newly educated staff hold an event tied to social media and give discounts only to loyalty shoppers they access by wireless app on their smart phones upon entering your store, or through traditional online store purchase.

If you do, please let IHR know if this helped you increase customers or sales in your store. We’d also like to hear how any online, mobile or social media marketing idea or event worked for you.

Anil Arora and Anne Lamar, assistant deputy ministers of the Health Products and Food Branch (HPFB), recently announced the opening of a new branch office on April 4, 2016. This office is the first that unites the existing front-line food and drug inspectors with inspectorate staff for natural products under a new cooperative called RORB, the Regulatory Operations and Regions Branch. Health Canada says this merger will strengthen the delivery of compliance and enforcement programs across the country.

This change utilizes existing structures and a team of inspectors already working from the food and drug division into the team of inspectors responsible for natural products, drugs, medical devices, and donor blood and semen among other things, like pesticides.

It is expected the Regulatory Operations and Regions Branch will also maintain several laboratories, the Environmental Health Program, and the recently created Office of Regulatory Initiatives newly responsible for key regulatory programs for openness and transparency.

Time will tell what impact these changes will have on natural health retailers after the reorganized office and its larger team of compliance and enforcement inspectors merge operations.