Archive for August, 2011
If there’s one group that you’d expect would take a dim view of physician provision of unproven or ineffective treatments, it’s the regulatory colleges that determine medical standards of practice. And that’s why it’s concerning and surprising the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) has published the following draft policy paper, Non-Allopathic (Non-Conventional) […]
Filed under: articles | 1 Comment
Tags: alternative medicine, cpso, non-allopathic, policy
Homeopathy Update
Homeopathy, the elaborate placebo system, is having a rough time in 2011. While homeopathic products are deemed “safe and effective” by Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate, the awareness that homeopathic products contain no active ingredients and have no medicinal effects is becoming more well known. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening worldwide:
Filed under: articles | 10 Comments
Tags: boiron, homeopathy, oscillococcinum, traumeel
Online discussions on the merits of alternative medicine can get quite heated. And its proponents, given enough time, will inevitably cite the same drug as “evidence” of the failings of science. Call it Gavura’s Law, with apologies to Mike Godwin: As an online discussion on the effectiveness of alternative medicine grows longer, the probability that […]
Filed under: articles | 2 Comments
Tags: drug regulation, DSHEA, homeopathy, natural health products directorate, natural health products regulations, nhpd, thalidomide
This is somewhat of an update to a prior post. What do Tylenol, Excedrin Extra Strength, Nyquil Cold & Flu, Percocet, Vicodin, and Anacin Aspirin Free have in common? They all contain the drug acetaminophen. Taking multiple acetaminophen-containing drugs can be risky: while acetaminophen is safe when used at appropriate doses, at excessive doses, it […]
Filed under: articles | Closed
Tags: acetaminophen, APAP, paracetamol, public health, toxicology, tylenol
Judging by the recent press reports, the latest Cochrane review reveals that everything we’ve been told about eating salt, and cardiovascular disease, is wrong: The New York Times: Nostrums: Cutting Salt Has Little Effect on Heart Risk The Daily Mail: Cutting back on salt ‘does not make you healthier’ (despite nanny state warnings) Scientific American: […]
Filed under: articles | 1 Comment
Tags: cardiovascular disease, cochrane review, epidemiology, public health, salt, scientific american, sodium, stroke
