Natural Calm’s Magnesium Citrate Powder (Raspberry-Lemon Flavour) is a vegan, non-GMO product that provides natural stress relief by restoring healthy magnesium levels throughout the body. It’s a magnesium citrate powder made using a propriety process that provides the most absorbable, effective, fastest-acting magnesium available.

Natural Calm’s magnesium becomes ionic when dissolved in hot water to help you relax, alleviate migraines and ease sore or cramping muscles. It can be taken hot as a tea or mixed with cold water after the powder has dissolved. It is a wonderful, relaxing, before-bed drink and comes in five flavours, including raspberry-lemon (tested by our readers).

The College of Pharmacists of British Columbia has introduced DrugSafeBC, a new program that mandates enhanced security requirements for all community pharmacies across the province.

College Board Chair Anar Dossa RPh, and Vancouver Police Department Chief Constable Adam Palmer addressed the media at a Pharmasave in Vancouver. “The College of Pharmacists of BC works to protect public safety and our announcement today shows our commitment to this responsibility,” says Dossa.

The College of Pharmacists of BC administers the Health Professions Act and protects public health by regulating pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and licensing the pharmacies where they practice. It is responsible for making sure every pharmacist and pharmacy technician in BC is fully qualified and able to provide the public with safe and ethical care. DrugSafeBC sets a precedent, making British Columbia the first jurisdiction in Canada to mandate security requirements for community pharmacies.

Pharmacy robberies in British Columbia have increased dramatically over the past seven years, accompanied by increasing levels of violence. By July 2014, the number of pharmacy robberies and break-ins had already surpassed the total number of incidents in all of 2013. To address the rise in pharmacy robberies, DrugSafeBC requires all community pharmacies to store narcotic drugs in a time-delay safe and post standard signage at all external entrances.

There is proven value of using time-delay safes as a deterrent to pharmacy robbery. Walgreens, the largest retail pharmacy chain in the US, successfully introduced a similar program in 2009 and had a 76 per cent reduction in pharmacy robbery rates across 1400 stores. Canadian supermarket chain Safeway also uses time-delay safes within their pharmacies and have not reported a single pharmacy robbery since their implementation.

With a zero-tolerance stance on pharmacy robberies, the College of Pharmacists of BC is promoting best practices to safeguard the safety and well-being of all pharmacy professionals, patients, and the public.

QUICK FACTS
• British Columbia is the first jurisdiction in Canada to establish security requirements for community pharmacies;
• Over 2012-13 there was a 200% increase in pharmacy robberies in the Lower Mainland;
• Weapons are used in 92% of pharmacy robberies in BC;
• The average pharmacy robbery takes less than 2 minutes, with some under 35 seconds;
• Six months after introducing time-delay safes in 2009, Walgreens pharmacy robberies in Washington State dropped from 24 to 3.

Health Canada is seeking input on proposed revisions to strengthen the labeling standard for non-prescription acetaminophen products, to help consumers use these products more safely. As communicated in July 2015, this consultation is one of several steps Health Canada is taking to further minimize the risk of liver damage and improve acetaminophen safety.

Acetaminophen is an ingredient used in nearly 500 non-prescription and prescription products in Canada, including headache and pain remedies, allergy medicines, cold remedies, and narcotic pain relievers. While it is used safely by a vast majority of consumers, acetaminophen – like all health products – has risks, especially if too much is taken or if it is taken for longer than directed. Effects can include liver damage and, in severe cases, acute liver failure, which can be fatal.

The aim of the revised labeling standard is to help consumers more easily identify products that contain acetaminophen, understand the liver risks and use products as directed. The proposed revisions for product packages and labels include:
• a prominent statement declaring the presence of acetaminophen, so that consumers can more easily identify products that contain the drug;
• plainer language;
• a new drug facts table that provides dosing instructions, warnings and other safety information in a quick-reference, easy-to-read format;
• stronger, clearer warnings with respect to liver damage, including stronger warnings about use with alcohol; and
• clearer and more prominent dosing instructions to help prevent the risk of accidental overdose, including statements that emphasize the maximum daily dose, dose intervals and duration of use (i.e. how much, how often, and for how long a product should be taken).

Labelling standards provide standardized information that companies include on their product packaging and inserts, such as information on dose, intended use, directions for use, warnings, and active ingredients. This proposed standard follows a review that assessed acetaminophen and liver injury in the Canadian context, and builds on previous action to address acetaminophen liver risks including a previous update to the labelling standard in 2009 that added stronger warnings on liver damage.
Canadians, health professionals, patient groups, industry and other interested parties have until November 29, 2015, to provide input on the draft standard, which is available online.
More information for consumers on using acetaminophen safely is available in Health Canada’s website.
©2015 PR Newswire

The Canadian Beverage Association has issued the following statement in regards to a paper entitled “Energy drinks, alcohol, sports and traumatic brain injuries among adolescents,” published in the journal PLOS One:

The study published today cannot and does not show a causal link between energy drinks and adverse health outcomes. Energy drinks are non-alcoholic beverages which, in Canada, contain approximately half the caffeine of an equivalent-sized cup of drip coffee. According to Health Canada, 93 per cent of all caffeine consumed by Canadians comes from coffee and tea.

This year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients. EFSA concluded in its risk assessment that other typical ingredients of energy drinks do not affect the safety of caffeine consumption from those drinks, and that caffeine can be safely consumed in conjunction with physical exercise under normal conditions. This authoritative body’s opinion clearly demonstrates that there is no scientific justification for energy drinks to be treated any differently than other contributors to daily caffeine intake.

CBA members support responsible manufacturing, marketing and consumption of their products. Energy drinks are not promoted to be mixed with alcohol, and container labels have a statement indicating that they are not recommended to be mixed with alcohol.

Commitments regarding marketing and sales of energy drinks can be found in Canadian Beverage Association’s Energy Drinks Marketing Code as well as the Canadian Beverage Association’s Industry Guidelines for Sale of Beverages in Schools.

Further information on energy drinks can also be found on Energy Drinks; Canadian Facts and Information.

The Canadian Beverage Association is the national trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute the majority of non-alcoholic refreshment beverages consumed in Canada. Over 58,000 individuals are employed directly, indirectly and through induced jobs in the Canadian beverage industry.

SOURCE Canadian Beverage Association

Organic Garage is slated to open its newest store by late 2016 at 43 Junction Road in Toronto. This will be Organic Garage’s largest location and the first in a multi-store expansion into the Toronto market.

Over 10 years ago, Matt Lurie set up an organic market in Toronto’s High Park with the simple idea of offering organic and all natural products at the lowest prices possible. Opening a store in this area has been something he has been hoping would come to fruition for many years.

“I am very excited for the opening of Organic Garage at 43 Junction Road, as is the local community,“ states Ward Councillor Frances Nunziata. “With their healthy food choices, Organic Garage will help promote health and well-being in the community and I am sure it will become a destination store for many in Ward 11.”

Some of the features for the newest location include:
– 100% Certified Organic produce department with one of the largest selections available in Toronto
– Bulk section with over 100 items boasting over 80% Certified Organic SKUs and 3 fresh nut butter mills
– Fresh salad bar with unique and seasonal items
– Dedicated focus on local vendors throughout the store
– State of the art, environmentally friendly refrigeration and HVAC technologies
– 400+ car parking and patio seating
– Latest updates to the Organic Garage brand yet to be seen in the market

Organic Garage would like to thank the many supporters of the store who have helped in its pursuit to make healthy eating more accessible in the community. Organic Garage is pleased and eager to return to the area where it all began.

This year Familiprix is celebrating 35 years of loyal service by its affiliated pharmacists to their clientele, and to mark the occasion of the Quebec-based company unveiling a brand new logo. The updated logo reflects the very core of the Familiprix mission: professional services offered by pharmacist-owners who are committed to innovation and progress.

“At Familiprix, we take the health and well-being of our customers very much to heart, and it’s this approach that has set us apart for 35 years. We are widely recognized as caring health professionals who work closely with our patients. From the creation of our distribution centre to the development of our Priorx laboratory software, we are constantly innovating,” says Albert Falardeau, president of Familiprix and pharmacist-owner.

Helping consumers look and feel better is in the Familiprix DNA and defines the company’s market niche: innovative pharmacies, attentive to consumers and taking a human approach, where one-on-one contact with the clientele is integral to the service offer. The unveiling of the new logo supports the Familiprix determination to innovate and to pursue this vision.

“The rejuvenation and updating of our logo will enhance its visual impact while maintaining recognizable similarity with the current logo. Its design will stand the test of time and enable us to introduce it gradually in our pharmacies over the coming years,” adds André Rhéaume, vice-president, Marketing.

During the past year, Familiprix has distinguished itself through the launch of new mobile applications that are revolutionizing the patient-pharmacist relationship and improving the management of health and wellbeing. The Familiprix – My Pharmacy mobile application and online health profile are the first in a series of interactive services being introduced by Familiprix. These services are making pharmacist-owners and their invaluable advice increasingly accessible to consumers.

Concurrent to this, Familiprix is developing its new advertising platform, which will be rolled out in winter 2016. It will be reminiscent of the humorous Ah! Ha! campaign, which was recognized as one of the best of the past 30 years by Quebec’s creative community in a recent issue of Infopresse, and of the award-winning We Put Ourselves in Your Shoes campaign.

“Familiprix is proud of its affiliated pharmacists, who have helped build our success over the decades. Above all, it wishes to thank its customers and employees, who have made the Familiprix network what it is today,” affirms Mr. Falardeau.