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Canadian prescription drugs

Canadian pharmacies that mail prescription drugs to U.S. patients have been backed into a no-win situation by the Canadian government and the provincial medical and pharmacy associations.

16 Nov 2004

The passive smoking proposals, whilst welcome, do not go far enough

Commenting on the proposals in today's English Public Health White Paper, local hospital consultant and Deputy Chairman of the BMA's Board of Science, Dr Peter Maguire, said: "The passive smoking proposals, whilst welcome, do not go far enough to protect the health and lives of all workers.

16 Nov 2004

BMA welcomes smoke-free plan

Commenting on today's (16 November 2004) White Paper on public health for England, BMA Chairman, Mr James Johnson, welcomed the fact that John Reid had gone a long way to making enclosed public places smoke-free but said he had not moved far enough.

16 Nov 2004

Sildenafil tablets will soon have small radio frequency tags

In an effort to combat drug counterfeiting and protect patients, Pfizer has announced a new initiative to use radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that will enable wholesalers and pharmacies to authenticate all Viagra sold in the United States.

16 Nov 2004

BMA Cymru Wales to petition parliament to ban smoking in public places unless Wales goes smoke free within 10 months

BMA Cymru Wales is seriously considering the possibility of petitioning Parliament for a ban in public places in Wales using the rarely used private bills procedure.

14 Nov 2004

Hearing set to determine if the U.S. will be better prepared for next year’s flu season

U.S. Senator Larry Craig Larry Craig has announced today that the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 2:30 p.m. titled “Liability, Licensing and the Flu Vaccine Market: Making Decisions Today to Prevent a Crisis Tomorrow.” It will be held in room 562.

14 Nov 2004

Cancer forces tens of thousands into poverty

A survey revealed today by Macmillan Cancer Relief shows that up to three-quarters of cancer patients suffer from financial hardship.

9 Nov 2004

The human cost of passive smoking

In a stark BMA report, 'The Human Cost of Tobacco', published today, (9 November 2004), doctors chronicle individual stories behind the statistics to show how second-hand smoke destroys lives and health.

9 Nov 2004

Schwarzenegger puts tens of thousands of Californians at risk, according to Californian Nurses

The California Nurses Association condemned a decision by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today, at the behest of the multi-billion dollar hospital industry, to suspend major provisions of California's law requiring safe registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratios

5 Nov 2004

Problem gambling is a health issue that needs to be taken seriously

The United Kingdom is just about to undergo one of the most radical changes of gambling legislation in its history. The new gambling bill will provide the British public with increased opportunities and access to gambling like they have never seen before.

5 Nov 2004

The Bush Medicare Prescription has changed the identity of medical oncology

Under previous law, Medicare covered chemotherapy as well as radiation treatment for cancer patients, but did not pay for oral-dose anti-cancer drugs, unless they were available in both oral and injectable form.

4 Nov 2004

Guidance for generic drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that a Guidance for Industry entitled "Listed Drugs, 30-Month Stays, and Approval of ANDAs and 505(b)(2) Applications Under Hatch-Waxman, as Amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003

4 Nov 2004

Medmira ships 100,000 rapid HIV tests to China

MedMira has announced that it has shipped 100,000 Rapid HIV Tests to one of its distributors in the People's Republic of China.

4 Nov 2004

Analysis of safety syringe market

One of the biggest challenges facing manufacturers of safety syringes in Europe is the lack of legislation on the use of these products in health care settings.

2 Nov 2004

Australia ratifies Tobacco Control Treaty

The global war on smoking has been given a major boost with Australia's ratification on 27 October 2004 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

2 Nov 2004

Employees in workplaces with no smoking restrictions smoke five more cigarettes daily

Employees in workplaces with no smoking restrictions smoke almost five more cigarettes daily than those whose workplaces completely ban smoking, says a study by the University of Toronto's Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU).

1 Nov 2004

Call for MEP's to improve childhood cancer treatment

Europe should take all possible measures to enhance the existing collaboration between paediatric oncologists, both in the treatment and research of childhood cancers.

29 Oct 2004

Selling paracetamol and other painkillers in smaller pack sizes has slashed rates of suicide

Selling paracetamol and other painkillers in smaller pack sizes has slashed rates of suicide and damage to the liver from paracetamol poisoning, concludes a study on bmj.com this week.

29 Oct 2004

Infectious diseases physicians call for financial incentives for industry

In the midst of the current national shortage of influenza vaccine, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has renewed its call for Congress and the Administration to implement innovative public policy geared toward removing financial disincentives that have caused pharmaceutical companies to leave the vaccine market.

25 Oct 2004

BMA report hopes to raise awareness about the threat of biological weapons

A new report released today (25 October 2004) by the BMA paints a bleak picture of the global community's ability to cope with advances in biological and genetic weapons technology.

25 Oct 2004