April

We have replied directly, at greater length, to Dr Haw­kins and would like to clarify these issues for all BCMJ readers:

Dr Wilson: you wrote, “I don’t know how the rest of you deal with the office chaos that results from irresponsible reporting in the lay press” [BCMJ 2008;50(1):9]. 

I try to nip it in the bud by correcting it; I write a letter to the editor. 

WorkSafeBC has decided that only special needles are to be used in the office as of 1 October 2008 [BCMJ 2008;50(1):16].

I have some questions that I would like answered for myself, and I am sure they apply to all GPs in BC.

1. Since GPs are not covered by WorkSafeBC then do we personally need to follow these rules? Can we continue to use the “old” needles and our staff use the new ones?

I take issue with the Drs Marsh and Krausz’s opening statement in their rebuttal to CAST concerns [BCMJ 2008;50(1):15-16]. Their as­sertion that “The most effective and best-studied treatment available in addiction medicine is methadone maintenance treatment (MMT)” is simply false. 

Thank you, Dr Rebbeck, for your “Back to basics” editorial that appeared in a recent issue [BCMJ 2007;49(10):530]. 

I was a junior resident on your service when you were working at the UBC Hospital and enjoyed the time that I worked with you because of your back-to-basics approach. 

I have found time and time again that if you just listen to your patient they will tell you the answer, and even though I am just a plastic surgeon I have found that advice to be extremely helpful.