What FX? CBC’s Marketplace looks at Cold-fX

27Jan12

I’ve been blogging for over three years and Cold-fX, a popular Canadian ginseng supplement, was one of the first topics I tackled. The omnipresent Canadian advertising, huge pharmacy presence, and impressive-sounding efficacy claims made it an ideal case study. Perhaps not surprisingly, when I reviewed the data, the results didn’t hold up:  I concluded that […]

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Tags: cbc marketplace, cold-fx, ginseng, natural health products directorate

Super Cold-Treatment Reference Spectacular!

11Jan12

I was recently the guest of Desiree Schell on Skeptically Speaking, where we spent an hour discussing the prevention and treatment of the common cold. Here are some of the references and sources I cited or referred to during the discussion. So read along as you listen to the podcast.

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Tags: astragalus, buckley's mixture, cold-fx, colds, cough, dextromethorphan, Echinacea, elderberry, garlic, ginger, ginseng, oil of oregano, oscilliococconium, pseudoephedrine, vitamin c, vitamin e

The Red Flags of Quackery

09Jan12

This compilation made me laugh out loud: From the website Sci-ənce. Nicely done. Anything missing?

Filed under: updates   |  2 Comments
Tags: humour, pseuodscience, quackery, red flags

Third year anniversary!

07Jan12

I recently asked a colleague for search advice on a topic I was researching. When I told her it was for a blog post, she was intrigued. “How much do you get paid to blog?” she asked. When I told her that blogging didn’t provide any revenue, she was dumfounded. “Even writing for [big pharmacy […]

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Tags: blackmores, pharmacy practice

New Year’s Resolutions

06Jan12

Heh. From Cyanide and Happiness. (Email recipients may need to click the links to view.) via Yoni Freedhoff

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Generic Drugs: Are they Equivalent?

05Jan12

With healthcare costs continuing to rise, generic drugs are looking more attractive than ever. The prospect of getting the same drug at a lower cost is tempting to anyone with a large drug bill — patient or insurer alike. The savings are massive: Lipitor lost patent protection in the USA last month — it was […]

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Tags: bioequivalence, generic drug, generic drugs, interchangeability, multisource, patent protection, pharmacokinetics