Author profile
Lloyd Oppel, MD, MHSc, FCFP(Em)
Doctors are often portrayed as technophiles who make lavish use of resources to fight disease once it has already occurred. In the minds of many people, including the popular press and government health agencies,... Read More
Two hundred years ago the practice of medicine was a field notable for its reliance on nostrums and procedures that ranged from those that were—at best—first aid, to some that were useless but comforting, to others that... Read More
Prescription drug users in Ontario recently got some good news. New technology is being deployed to increase ease of access, decrease travel, and improve patient safety—all without the pharmacist present. The... Read More
At the 2000 International AIDS Conference, South African president Thabo Mbeki sparked considerable controversy when he questioned the link between HIV and AIDS. His health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, gained... Read More
In Canada, roughly 50 children die each year from bike accidents, with 75% due to head injuries.[1] In 1996, British Columbia became the first province to implement legislation requiring children and adults to wear... Read More
In April of this year the Harper government introduced Bill C-51: An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act. The bill was intended to update consumer protection legislation dating from the 1950s and to bring Canada’s... Read More
Childhood immunizations are widely acknowledged to be one of the most cost-effective health care measures available.[1] Even in countries with no organized health care system to speak of, vaccination campaigns are seen... Read More
In June Dr Barry Beyerstein, a member of the BCMA’s Allied Health and Alternative Therapies Committee, passed away while at work. Dr Beyerstein obtained his PhD in psychology from UC Berkeley and later took a posting at... Read More
In his defence of homeopathy, Dr Malthouse lists a number of publications that have drawn favorable conclusions and asserts that the positive evidence “goes on and on.” In a sense, I agree. There truly is a huge... Read More
Addictive behaviors are a common source of distress and disability. Signs of addictive behaviors range from well-known issues such as alcohol and tobacco abuse to less-studied areas such as gambling addiction. While... Read More