October

It is a sad fact that the rationing of health care in Canada extends to the rationing of medical school places for qualified applicants. In the wake of the 1991 Barer-Stoddart re­port, BC (like many other provinces) acted to reduce enrollment in medical schools. Years later, governments began to recognize their error, and have recently increased the number of doctors in training. 

““Hey Dad, how’s the new car?”    “Not so good,” he replies.  “There’s a red light flashing on the dashboard.”

“How is it running?” I ask.

“Fine. I only notice the light when I get out and lock it.”

“Um, Dad, that’s your alarm.”

I am starting to feel (and look) more and more like my dad. Technology continues to move forward at a remarkable rate. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m lucky to be alive during such a medically exciting time. New discoveries and treatments abound. 

In this second part of a two-part theme issue on geriatric psychiatry, four articles focus on effective care for seniors with cognitive problems. 

In the first article, Dr Phil Lee and colleagues review the evidence for cholinesterase inhibitors and provide an update on the BC Alzheimer’s Drug Therapy Initiative (ADTI) re­search program. 

References

British Columbians can now call or e-mail Health Link BC’s Dietitian Services with any nutrition or food-related concerns. As part of the pro­vince’s Healthy Families BC program, BC dietitians are available to answer physicians’ questions and those from the public on topics such as baby nutrition, allergies, managing chronic conditions, healthy eating, and how to access local dietitians. Registered dietitians provide phone advice through the 8-1-1 service from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Thursday.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC now provides members with access to two excellent clinical resources, MD Consult and Access Medicine (www.cpsbc.ca/library). These resources provide clinicians with access to a wide breadth of evidence-based resources for medical care. Each provides a comprehensive search platform for retrieval of information across multiple titles.