Right now, Canada has a patchwork of public and private drug coverage, leaving gaps that some individuals needing prescription drugs struggle to fill.

More info at:
globalnews.ca/news/3109134/what-you-need-to-know-about-a-universal-prescription-drug-plan/

#healthcare #prescription #drugs #canada #pharmacist #medication

By the end of September, nearly 100,000 Canadians had obtained prescriptions and registered to buy cannabis with one of the growers licensed by Health Canada, such as the Tweed company in Smiths Falls. That’s a dramatic leap from the 30,537 people registered in September 2015. 

More at: 
ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/number-of-canadians-buying-legal-medical-marijuana-triples-in-just-one-year
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"Caregivers can do several things to make the home safer for their senior mom or dad.

1. Install safety bars, grab bars or handrails in the shower or bath.​
2. Put no-stick tape on the floor in the tub.
3. Use a stool riser seat to make getting on and off the toilet easier.
4. Install at least one stairway handrail that extends beyond the first and last steps.
5. Make sure stairs are sturdy with strong hand railings."

More at: 
​www.agingcare.com/Articles/Falls-in-elderly-people-133953.htm?utm_source=InsightsNewsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=InsightsNewsletterDec

"Sick and injured Ontarians are forced to wait far too long to be admitted to intensive-care beds and to undergo emergency surgery, the province’s Auditor-General says in a new report slamming the government and hospital bosses for overcrowding at big community hospitals.

The excessive waits have harmed some patients, the report found."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/excessive-wait-times-at-hospitals-hurting-patients-ontario-a-g-finds/article33100229/

Editor's Note: I have noticed that the Auditor General has been releasing a lot of reports recently both healthcare and non-healthcare related....or in other words, A.G. is going H.A.M. -kenny
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Effective Sunday December 11, 2016...​ a new response message will be delivered to pharmacies after adjudicating claims for BGTS.

The New Response Message is “Remaining Qty: #### until MMM DD, YYYY”.

For example: “Remaining Qty: 100 until FEB 15, 2017”.

This new response message will be an addition to the existing reject response codes sent to pharmacy systems after processing a BGTS claim.

www.opatoday.com/OPDPNov30-Dec6#OPDP16149
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"A Saskatchewan nurse who used Twitter and Facebook to express concern about the quality of care given to a family member in a nursing home has been found guilty of professional misconduct, according to a recent decision by the body that oversees nursing in the province.

The case concerns posts by Carolyn Strom, a registered nurse who commented on Facebook in February of 2015. Her post both criticized and praised staff at St. Joseph's Health Facility in Macklin, Sask., about 250 kilometres west of Saskatoon.​"

​www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/srna-discipline-social-media-nurse-saskatchewan-1.3880351

"Starting December 15, Ontario pharmacists will be able to administer additional vaccines to protect against 13 preventable diseases. This includes common travel vaccines for diseases such as Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, and Rabies. In addition, the flu vaccine will continue to be administered by pharmacists, free of charge."   
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news.ontario.ca/mohltc/en/2016/12/ontario-making-it-easier-to-get-your-travel-vaccines.html

Ms. Lum-Wilson comes to OCP from the Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), where she has served as Director, Health Systems Planning and Design since 2012.  Prior to joining the LHIN, Nancy spent seven years with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in increasingly senior roles. 

www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ontario-college-of-pharmacists-appoints-new-registrar-602901576.html
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Ontario’s health minister says he’s committed to improving safety in the pharmacy industry after meeting with the mother of an 8-year-old boy who died after allegedly being administered the wrong drug.

www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/24/ontario-health-minister-vows-increased-transparency-for-pharmacy-errors.html
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