Catching up today on some stories you might’ve missed. Here's a quick look at what stood out.
Carney did not commit to extending bilateral health deals at a first minister's meeting on July 23.
The Highlights:
→ Bilateral deals on mental health, rare disease, home and community care are set to expire in March 2027.
→ Canada Health Transfer's five-per-cent annual increase is also set to drop back down to three per cent in 2028-29.
→ Premiers cited a "fiscal cliff" at the meeting, urging the renewal of bilateral deals and annual five-per-cent CHT increase.
More than a third of opioid-related deaths between 2018 and 2024 were those in the construction sector, according to a new Ontario report.
The Highlights:
→ Roughly 1,340 people in the construction and trades sector died of an opioid-related death between 2018 and 2024.
→ Opioid deaths in Ontario for that time period totalled nearly 16,000.The coroner only recorded the occupations in about 22 per cent of the cases.
→ The rate of opioid deaths was similar for workers in natural resources and agriculture.
Ottawa's pharma task force wants Health Canada to speed up drug approvals by relying more on trusted foreign regulators and investing more in health data infrastructure.
The Highlights:
→ The task force was created in March to advise the federal government on how to support the industry amid U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade talks.
→ The final report had 39 recommendations, including the development of AI applications in health care.
→ The report suggests more drugs should be included, such as those treating cancer and vaccines.
Canadian doctors are using a regulatory loophole to prescribe BPC-157, an unauthorized peptide for muscle growth and tissue repair.
The Highlights:
→ The drug has not yet been assessed for safety, quality, or effectiveness by Health Canada.
→ BPC-157 cannot be sold as an injectable drug or licensed natural health product.
→ It can, however, be compounded as a pill by pharmacies as long as a doctor prescribes it.
→ There is no federal oversight for the practice of compounding natural health products for patients in Canada.
Canadian blood donations have plummeted in all provinces over the last several weeks. Now, there's shortage.
The Highlights:
→ Blood supply has decreased by nearly 20 per cent since June 1, says Canadian Blood Services.
→ This shortfall is beyond the usual drop in donations during the summer months.
→ The organization says it needs about 18,000 blood donations a week to keep up with hospital demand.
→ Currently, there's a shortfall of between 1,500 and 2,500 appointments each week.
Emergency physicians in Canada are either reducing their hours, taking time off, or leaving completely due to burnout, according to a new report.
The Highlights:
→ One out of every 10 emergency physicians in Canada have left their specialty.
→ Women and younger physicians reported higher rates of burnout.
→ Emergency departments in Canada are grappling with chronic overcrowding and staff shortages.
→ One in every 10 Canadians admitted to the hospital during 2024-25 spent more than 48 hours waiting in the emergency department.
Pulse Check™
What else we're reading:
- Private billing law for doctors threatens universal health care, critics charge 🔒
- It's faster to fly a human around the moon than to get a new drug to Canadians
- Opinion: How do you judge the real value of a new Alzheimer’s drug? 🔒
- Robotic-assisted surgery is helping shape the future of health care in Surrey
- What happens when a rural town’s only emergency room suddenly closes?
Canada Healthwatch
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