A1 radio interview with Maggie on safety reviews of drugs by Health Canada

On April 8^th,  Maggie Cheung, from Custom Care Pharmacy, was invited to A1 radio AM 1430 to answer questions about the new initiative from Health Canada to publish summaries of medication safety reviews on their website. 

For this month’s blog, we will explain the role of Health Canada in approving and monitoring the safety of medications in Canada. We will also provide you with the link to see the posted safety reviews, as well as the Cantonese interview segment on A1 radio. 

Click on the link to listen: http://www.ccue.ca/a1_radio/yangwanwen/  (Choose 上半部 skip to 21:00)

How does Health Canada ensure that drugs available in Canada are safe to use?

All prescription drugs authorized for sale in Canada are required to have approval and labeling from Health Canada that clearly outlines the benefits and harms of the drug product.  Once it is available for sale, Health Canada continues to monitor the safety of drug products to identify potential safety issues. If safety issues are identified, a safety review is conducted to determine if there are new risks associated with the health product. If so, Health Canada may take a number of actions including:

• Notifying Canadians or health professionals

• Requesting changes to the product labeling

• Requesting additional information, studies or more monitoring

• If necessary, withdrawal from the Canadian market.

Summaries of these safety reviews will now be posted on the Health Canada website:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/advisories-avis/review-examen/index-eng.php

Currently, there is only 1 safety review posted regarding the Acne medication Diane-35.

Do I have to check for safety reviews of the drugs that I am taking? Will my doctor and pharmacist know about changes to the safety information of the drugs that I am taking?

Doctors and pharmacists have always been informed when there are changes to the Health Canada approval and labelling of drug products, including the changes to safety information. What is new is the publishing of the summaries of safety reviews online, which enables patients to see this information as well.  The summaries can provide patients with an awareness of any new changes to the safety profile of the reviewed drug. However, it is important that patients continue to discuss with their doctor and pharmacist regarding any concerns about the safety of the drugs that they are currently using. 

If you have questions about a drug that you are taking,  our pharmacists can help you. Our number is 905-305-0111  CUSTOM CARE PHARMACY 

Do you know what to do when your child has febrile seizure?

Recently, I witnessed a case of febrile seizure. For any parent, the first time seeing this can be very frightening. Although febrile seizure do not cause any harm in most cases and it does not mean the child has more serious long-term health problem, however, it is a good idea for parents to be aware of it and be prepared to have the proper medications at home to bring down the fever.

First of all, it is important to know that febrile seizure is not the same as epilepsy. Drugs for epilepsy are not used to treat febrile seizure.  Febrile seizures occur most often in children between 9 months and 5 years.   It usually occurs within the first 24 hours of an illness, such as ear infections, a cold or viral infection.  Any illness that causes a high temperature fever can cause a febrile seizure. Note that the old Chinese habit of putting heavy blankets on children with high fever to ‘get a good sweat out of them’ may not be suitable for small children, as this may contribute to a high temperature fever.

When a child is having febrile seizure, they may have some or all of the following symptoms: Eyes rolling or limbs stiffening, crying or moaning, muscle tightening, vomiting or biting the tongue, body jerking.  If the child was standing, he or she may fall and may pass urine. Even when a parent is talking to them or calling their name, the child may not respond. Sometimes, they may even stop breathing. This is why it is very important for the parent to know what to do.   

During febrile seizure, it is safest to leave the child on the floor. Remove objects that may cause injury. If the child vomits or if the tongue is blocking the airways, turn the child to the side on the stomach.

The old Chinese habit of putting something inside the mouth to preventing the child from biting his/her tongue is NOT recommended.

Do NOT try to force anything into the child's mouth to prevent biting the tongue, as this increases the risk of injury. Do NOT try to restrain your child or try to stop the seizure movements.

To bring the fever down, insert Acetaminophen suppository into the child's rectum. Oral medication may lead to vomiting or choking.

Custom Care Pharmacy carries ACET 160mg suppositories $8.49 and ACET 120mg suppositories for infants $7.29  

Use cool packs of cool washcloths on the child's forehead to bring down the temperature.  Sponge the rest of the body with lukewarm (not cold) water. Cold water or alcohol may make the fever worse.

Custom Care Pharmacy carries "Be Kool" Mickey Mouse Soft Gel adhesive sheets for immediate cooling relief from fever. $3.39 per box of 4 sheets

When the seizure subsides, it is important to try and find out the cause of the fever and see a doctor as soon as possible. You should consider driving the child to an emergency room even if the seizure is over. Although Meningitis causes less than 0.1% of febrile seizures, it is important to rule it out especially for children less than 1 year old.

 

你知道如何处理高热性惊厥嗎？

最近，我親眼目睹了一宗高熱性驚厥病例的發生。對於任何父母，第一次看到這種情況的發生都是非常擔驚受怕的。雖然在大多數情況下，高熱性驚厥不會造成任何傷害，也並不是就意味著孩子有更嚴重的長期健康問題，但是對家長來說在家里備有適當的退燒藥絕對是一個好主意。

     首先，要知道的是高熱性驚厥與癲癇是不一樣的，而且用於治療癲癇的藥物並不適用於治療高熱性驚厥。高熱性驚厥最常發生在9個月至5歲之間的兒童。高熱性驚厥大多數出現在發病的最初24小時，如耳部感染，感冒或病毒感染。任何導致高溫高熱的疾病都可引起驚厥。中國人習慣把厚厚的毯子蓋在發熱的小孩身上來捂出一身汗，這種做法是不適合小孩子的，因為這樣可能會導致高溫高熱而引發高熱性驚厥。

高熱性驚厥症狀

輕微的高熱性驚厥癥狀可能表現為孩子的眼睛睜不開或四肢僵硬。一般來說簡單的高熱性驚厥會在幾秒鐘到10分鐘內自動停止，然後出現短暫的嗜睡或精神不振。

• 高熱性驚厥開始表現為孩子身體的兩側肌肉突然收緊或收縮，并持續幾秒鐘或更長的時間。
• 孩子可能會哭或呻吟。

• 如果站著，孩子可能會倒下，並且出現遺尿。

• 孩子可能會嘔吐或咬舌。

• 有時孩子會無法呼吸，並可能開始變成藍色。

• 然後孩子的身體開始有節奏地抖動，并無法回應家長的叫喚。

高熱性驚厥的治療

• 在驚厥發作期間，讓您的孩子躺在地板上。

• 如果地板很硬，您可以在孩子身下墊一條毯子。

• 只有在危險的位置才移動小孩

• 除去任何可能導致人身傷害的物件

• 鬆開任何過緊的衣服，尤其是在脖子上。如果可能的話，打開或從腰部向上取出衣物。

• 如果孩子嘔吐，或者如果唾液和黏液在口腔中堆積，翻向靠胃那側。

請注意：過去中國人習慣把東西放到病人的嘴裡咬住，這是不提倡的。

• 切勿经口给予任何东西。

• 將你的注意力集中放在退烧方面：你可將對乙酰氨基酚栓劑插入孩子的直肠，幫他退烧。

***你可以在美健药房以會員價購買到這些產品（對乙酰氨基酚栓剂160毫克$8.49和對乙酰氨基酚栓劑120毫克栓剂$7.29）***

• 用凉浴巾敷前额和颈部，用海绵與温水擦身体的其余部分。不要用冷水或酒精，因為它們可能會令发热加重。

***你可以在美健药房以會員價$3.39購買到 BE kool MICKEY MOUSE 退烧貼***

• 當驚厥發作结束了，你的孩子變清醒後，你可给予正常剂量的布洛芬或对乙酰氨基酚。

高熱性驚厥發生后，最重要的一步是确定发烧的原因。雖然脑膜炎导致高热惊厥機會小于0.1％，它還是应列為考虑的因素。尤其是不到1岁的孩子，或发烧退下来後看起来还像生病的樣子。

预后

儿童第一次高热性惊厥發作對父母來說是一个可怕的时刻。大多数家长都担心自己的孩子会死，或有脑损伤。然而，简单的高热惊厥是无害的。目前没有证据表明它们会导致死亡，脑损伤，癫痫，智商下降，或学习问题。

什麽時候要联系医生

儿童在首次高热性惊厥發作後应尽早去看医生。

如果惊厥癥狀持续超過几分钟，请拨打911就會有救护车带你的孩子去医院。

如果惊厥发作很快结束，那麼當它结束後，你可以開車把孩子送到醫院的急诊室做必要的檢查。

你在找女醫生嗎？

女性往往想找到一位女的家庭醫生, 雖然她們的男性家庭醫生可能也很不錯的。然而，當她們需要做身體檢查或乳腺檢查時，她們可能會感到尷尬。當需要詢問關於月經週期的問題, 她們也許覺得不好意思問。

有些病人想知道她們是否可以只讓女醫生幫她做身體檢查，然後到她平常的家庭醫生看病。由於“無需預約”的醫生（”Walk-in” doctors）是不做週年的身體檢查，而女性家庭醫生往往不接受新病人了, 所以如果只是為女性的健康問題看一次女醫生是很難做到的。

從三月開始，在朗豪坊廣場二樓將有一位女醫生可接受新病人。如果你正在尋找女醫生，請現在撥打我們美健藥房的電話905-305-0111，我們可以為您提供有關如何註冊的詳細信息！

Are you looking for a female family doctor?

Women generally prefer to have a female family doctor. However, it is not easy to find a female family doctor that accepts new patients. Some women have told us that although their male family doctor is very good, they often feel embarrassed when they need a PAP test, a breast examination or just to ask questions related to their menstrual period.

Some patients wonder if they could just get their annual physical check-up with a female doctor and then return to their usual family doctor afterwards. This might be difficult to do, as “walk-in” doctors may not do an annual physical check-up and many of the female family doctors are not accepting new patients.  

There is good news! Starting in March, there will be a female family doctor accepting new patients at South Unionville Square (Kennedy Road/Castan Ave, South of Hwy 7). If you are looking for a female family doctor, call us now at 905-305-0111 and we can give you more detail on how to register!

Recent news about H5N1 avian flu and H1N1 swine flu

Recently, there are news about a death from H5N1 flu in Alberta, Canada. This has caused an influx of patients seeking the flu vaccine at the pharmacy. It is important to clarify that the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the H5N1 avian flu virus, however, it is still effective in protecting you from the most common flu virus in Canada, such as the H1N1 flu virus. 

What is the H5N1 avian flu? 
H5N1 is an avian flu virus that is commonly found in poultry across Asia and the Middle East. Most patients infected with the H5N1 virus have come in close contact with sick or dead and infected poultry. The majority of human H5N1 cases have been linked to home slaughtering of diseased poultry before cooking. Since the virus is sensitive to heat, you cannot contract H5N1 from properly cooked eggs and chicken. Although it is difficult for the H5N1 virus to transmit from person to person, you can still contract the virus from being in contact with an infected H5N1 patient.

What is the difference between H5N1 and H1N1? 
Human cases of H5N1 are rare, especially in Canada. However, once a patient is infected with the H5N1 virus, the mortality rate is 60%. It is important to note that the H1N1 flu virus is much more common in Canada. Also, H1N1 can be commonly transmitted from person to person. It is still important to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself from the most common types of flu virus in Canada.  

Custom Care Pharmacy is still providing flu vaccination, no appointment necessary. If you haven't received vaccination this season, it is not too late to get vaccinated.  

關於H5N1病毒和H1N1病毒的新聞

最近, 有新聞關於H5N1病毒導致的死亡病例。正因為如此, 有很多人一下子來到藥房尋求流感疫苗。其實，許多人並不清楚流感疫苗可以預防哪種類型的流感病毒。

在2013-2014年的流感疫苗可保護免受三種流感病毒：H3N2，H1N1和B型流感病毒。所以，季節性流感疫苗是不可以預防H5N1病毒的感染。然而，注射季節性流感疫苗仍然是重要的。因為它可以預防在加拿大最常見類型的流感病毒。

什麼是H5N1病毒？

H5N1是一種高致病性禽流感病毒，常見于亞洲和中東部分地區的家禽。然而

人類感染這種病毒的病例是非常罕見的，它是很難從人傳播給人，但是被感

染的人的死亡率大約是60％。多數感染H5N1病毒的患者曾與病禽或死禽密切接觸過。

人類也可能通過長期暴露於H5N1病毒的環境，如活家禽市場，在國外旅行，

或與感染H5N1禽流感患者接觸後感染病毒。但是， H5N1病毒從人到人的接

觸傳染是非常罕見的。


因為H5N1型病毒對熱敏感，你是不會從正當處理及煮熟的家禽和蛋類中感染

到H5N1病毒的。據世界衛生組織調查，大多數人感染H5N1病例都與家禽屠宰

和病禽在烹調前的處理有關。


關於H1N1流感的事實：

•因為每年季節性流感傳播不同類型的病毒，所以每年要生產一種新的流感

疫苗以預防 來年最常見的三種流感病毒株。

•H1N1病毒仍然是本季流感主要的 病毒亞型。

•嚴重的導致住院觀察的流感病例往往是與感染了H1N1病毒有關。

•據報導20-64歲之間的成年人流感病例比例更高。

•感染了H1N1病毒的症狀類似于普通季節性流感的症狀。包括咳嗽，發熱，

寒戰，食慾不振，咽喉痛，流鼻涕，頭痛和全身酸痛，有些感染了 H1N1病

毒的病患還可能會出現噁心，嘔吐和腹瀉。

•H1N1病毒具有高度傳染性，可以從人迅速蔓延到人。即使你往年注射過含

有H1N1病毒的流感疫苗，也不能確保今年仍然受到保護。一般來說，接受

流感疫苗一年后人對流感的免疫力會減弱，並需重新注射來強化免疫力以獲

最佳的保護。

**美健藥房還有流感疫苗，無需預約, 現來注射也不晚**