Health Canada has published new regulations to grant more prescribing authority to nurse practitioners (NPs), midwives and podiatrists. NPs are registered nurses with additional education, advanced nursing experience, and who work collaboratively with other health care providers. Current legislation and regulation authorize NPs to independently diagnose and treat health conditions, but with limited prescription authority. The new regulations allow NPs across Canada (except Yukon) to prescribe controlled substances under the federal Controlled Drug and Substances Act. This will help to provide more timely and comprehensive care to patients.

Health Canada suspended the License of Chemi Pharmaceutical Inc. of Mississauga, Ontario after uncovering falsified testing results during the course of an inspection. As a precautionary step, companies that had testing done by Chemi Pharmaceutical are being asked to temporarily halt sales of those products until their safety can be confirmed. Health Canada has not seen any indication that the health of Canadians has been compromised.

Ventus Medical has announced the introduction of its proprietary Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy into Canada. Provent Therapy is an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. This is a scientifically validated and user-friendly approach that uses nasal expiratory positive airway pressure to keep a patient’s airway open during sleep. Over 1 in 4 Canadian adults are at high risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Continuous positive airway pressure is the primary treatment, but not all patients can tolerate it as a long term treatment. Provent Therapy improved quality of sleep while reducing sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness and snoring in clinical studies in the US. It is easy to use, portable and discreet for use at home or when travelling.

A new study called “Tendering generic drugs: What are the risks?” was commissioned by the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Assocation (CGPA). According to the study, tendering generic drugs in Canada could cause many negative consequences such as potential drug shortages because of less redundancy in the drug supply system, less manufacturing of generic drugs in Canada, less customer services offered by generic suppliers to pharmacies, the closure of some pharmacies, and others. The study discusses how tendering removes the incentive for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to mount legal challenges to invalid or non-infringement patents on brand-name drugs. The authors argue that tendering has important implications and is only one of the approaches that can be used to procure generic drugs.

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute participated in the largest genetic study of coronary artery disease to date. The study was published in the scientific magazine Nature. 15 genetic regions were newly associated with the disease, bringing the total to 46. The research team also identified 104 independent genetic variants that are highly likely to be associated with the disease. These discoveries have helped other doctors from the Heart Institute identify biological pathways that underlie the disease and showed that lipid metabolism and inflammation play a significant role. These findings show clear evidence that several of the genetic risk factors for coronary artery disease function through known inflammatory pathways, which could pave the way for developing new therapies.

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada launched their annual campaign titled ‘National Pap Test Campaign’. Healthcare professionals across Canada took a stand against cervical cancer by hosting public Pap test clinics in their community.

The results of an international survey called ‘Mind the Gap’ assessed patients’ and healthcare professionals’ differing perceptions of ulcerative colitis and were presented during the United European Gastroenterology Week. On average, patients reported almost six flare ups in the previous year while physicians reported almost four. Pain was ranked as very important for patients while physicians ranked urgency and stool frequency the highest. These key differences identified that improved communication between patients and their physician or specialist and better patient education would potentially address these issues.

At the London Health Sciences Centre, Dr. Roberto Hernandez-Alejandro completed the first of a two stage surgery to remove cancer from the liver. Formally called an associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for stage hepatectomy, or ALPPS procedure, the surgical first is that both stages of the hepatectomy, or removal of the liver, are completed in one week to ensure that cancer does not spread to other parts of the liver.

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Hospital acquired C difficile infection remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality. An estimated 1% of patients admitted to hospital in Canada acquire C difficile, and an estimated 10% of them die regardless of their basis for admission to the hospital. Bio-K+® is the first natural health product to have a Health Canada approved claim for reducing risk of acquiring C difficile infection. Makers Bio-K Plus International Inc call upon health care providers and hospital administrators across the country to make coadministration of probiotics with antibiotics in hospital settings a standard of care. They estimate adopting such a standard would save the Canadian healthcare system over $200 million per year.

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is the only national Hall of Fame in the world dedicated to celebrating medical heroes. It creates a tribute to those who through discovery and innovation have contributed to better health in Canada and the world. The 2013 inductees are Dr. Antoine Hakim, Dr. David MacLenna, Dr. Claude Roy, Dr. Arnold Naimark, Dr. Bette Stephenson, and the Late Dr. Ian Rusted.The 2013 Induction Ceremony, presented by BMO Harris Private Banking, will be held in Halifax on May 2. Biographies of the current laureates are available on the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame website.