Poilievre vows to close supervised drug-use sites

Pierre Poilievre announced plans to defund and close supervised drug consumption sites near schools and playgrounds, and "anywhere else that they endanger the public."

Why it's important: Poilievre suggested he’d put "reasonable restrictions" on where sites will be allowed to operate, while also referring to them as "drug dens.”

The sites are perhaps seen as a recent trend, but have actually been around since 2003. Not only has supervised consumption saved tens of thousands of lives, it’s cut transmission rates of HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases, saving healthcare systems untold millions. If a Poilievre government were to dramatically defund supervised consumption—or make it unappealing or inaccessible to use—predictable effects would be higher rates of diseases and deaths, increased system costs, and more drug use in public spaces.
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Private equity planning takeover of paid plasma donation firm

Brookfield Asset Management and the Grifols family are planning a joint bid to take the Spanish pharmaceutical company, Grifols, private. The bid is underway just as paid plasma donation is set to kick off across Ontario.

Why it's important: There’s growing pushback against the ethics and involvement of private equity in health and biosciences, as well as the undermining of Canada’s voluntary blood donation model with a paid model under Grifols. The takeover bid raises questions as to what influence private equity ownership might exert over Grifols’ Canadian operations.

Grifols, specializing in blood plasma-based products, is certainly positioned for market growth as it undertakes its expansion into Canada. While the outcome of the bid is still uncertain, an acquisition could significantly impact how Grifols' conducts itself once active in the Canadian market. 
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IVF success drops nearly 40% with air pollution exposure: study

Exposure to fine particulate matter is linked to significant reductions in IVF success rates, with a 38% drop in live births among patients exposed to the highest levels of pollution.

Why it's important: The findings link exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 in the weeks leading up to egg retrieval to a sharp decline in the rate of live births. The effect was still observed even when air pollution had subsided in advance of embryo transfer.

The study, involving over 3,600 frozen embryo transfers and over 1800 women, hammers home the implications of growing air pollution (especially from wildfires) and the urgent need to improve our air quality. The findings also point to an obvious question, with an answer that’s likely to be uncomfortable. If this effect is observed in IVF, what is the effect of air pollution on pregnancies, more broadly?
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B.C. Premier rejects recommendation for non-prescription opioids

David Eby resoundingly rejected a recommendation from Dr. Bonnie Henry to make opioids available for use without a prescription.

Why it's important: Eby’s decision and the comms around it are indicative of a tense political climate around addictions and drug policy, and a level of public support for liberalized measures which, perceived or real, seems increasingly tenuous.

Eby stated there is "zero per cent chance" the province will adopt the provincial health officer's suggestion to offer non-prescription opioids. Despite acknowledging Henry's past contributions, Eby insists that medical professionals must remain directly involved in managing drug use. Henry's report criticizes current prohibition strategies and points to the rise in toxic drug supply, linked to at least 14,000 deaths in eight years.
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1-in-10 women infected during pregnancy develop long COVID, study finds

Long COVID is more prevalent among those infected during pregnancy, according to a new study.

Why it's important: A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology reveals that nearly 10% of people infected with COVID during pregnancy develop long COVID, compared to 7% for the general population.

Respiratory illnesses pose a heightened risk during pregnancy, affecting both maternal and fetal health. The NIH study emphasizes the importance of continuous care for chronic conditions post-pregnancy and calls for further research on the impacts of COVID during pregnancy as well as on fetal development.
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A Montreal woman says hospital staff offered her MAiD unprompted, twice

Tracy Polewczuk reports that Montreal hospital staff twice suggested medical assistance in dying (MAID) without her prompting.

Why it's important: Polewczuk, who lives with spina bifida and chronic pain, is reliant on daily homecare which she says has declined in quality. claims that hospital staff in Montreal twice offered her medical assistance in dying (MAiD) without her request.

For its part, the West Island Regional Health Authority asserts that MAiD protocols require the initiative to come from the patient, not staff. As with previous high profile cases, this story does raise legitimate concerns about the care and supports provided to disabled and chronically ill patients in the context of MAiD’s widening availability.
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