October

An SFU study has found that starkly increasing prescription of strong opioids is driving up dispensation of the painkillers in Canada. World Health Organization (WHO) standards define strong opioids as hydrocodone, hy­dro­morophone, oxycodone, fentanyl, mep­eridine, methadone and morphine. Codeine and its combination products are defined as weak opioids.

The GPSC’s innovative approach to addressing the challenges within the primary care system in BC was highlighted by The Commonwealth Fund, a private US foundation that promotes a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, especially for society’s most vulnerable people.

The BCMJ is pleased to announce the winner of the 2010 J.H. MacDermot Prize for Excellence in Medical Journalism, Dr Daniel Malebranche.
Dr Malebranche won for his hum­orous account of his stint on surgical rotation in Switzerland, “Lost in translation” (BCMJ 2010;52:11). He studied medicine at the University of British Columbia from 2007 to 2011, and is currently practising as an internal medicine resident in St. John’s, Newfoundland. 

I am not about to step up to defend problem-based learning (PBL). I do, however, want to make one simple point. If you do not put effort into PBL, it will not work for you and your group. I have had PBL groups with classmates who drum up many of the points that Andrew Provan makes in his article [BCMJ 2011;53;132-133]. 

This is in response to “Lyme disease in British Columbia: Are we really missing an epidemic?” [BCMJ 2011;53:224-229]. I can only assume that the title is an implied rebuttal of Ending Denial: The Lyme Disease Epidemic: A Canadian Public Health Disaster, edited by Helke Ferrie. 

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