Health IQ: Quaker recall hits Canada

How Canada plans to protect its drug supply

This past week, Health Canada emphasized its commitment to “safeguard” the country’s prescription drug supply after a recent U.S. ruling that could mean more pharmaceutical exports sent to Florida.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently agreed to allow Florida to import bulk prescription drugs, including medication for asthma, diabetes, and HIV, more cheaply from Canadian wholesalers.

However, the ruling has raised concerns about the potential impact on the Canadian drug supply.

“The Government of Canada is taking all necessary action to safeguard the drug supply and ensure Canadians have access to the prescription drugs they need and has been clear in its position: bulk importation will not provide an effective solution to the problem of high drug prices in the U.S.,” Health Canada said in a statement Monday.

Later in the week, federal Health Minister Mark Holland reaffirmed Canada’s stance by saying “there is no way” Canada will allow any foreign jurisdiction to threaten the country’s drug supply, including the United States, during a press conference in Nova Scotia.

“Where there’s any attempt to endanger our domestic supply of pharmaceuticals, we will not allow it,” Holland said.

He noted that there is still a provision for the “legitimate exportation” of drugs to the U.S. and worldwide. However, he clarified that if drug exportation poses a threat to Canada’s pharmaceutical supply then regulatory measures will be implemented to ensure it is not allowed.

Read more here.

Quaker recalls granola, cereals in Canada

Several types of cereals and granola bars by the popular brand Quaker are being recalled across Canada due to potential salmonella contamination.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a nationwide notice Thursday for 38 different products sold by Quaker in stores and online.

The best before dates for these breakfast items are between Jan. 11 to Oct.7, 2024.

While no illnesses have been reported in Canada as of Jan. 11, Canadians are being urged not to consume the recalled products, throw them out or return to where they were bought from.

The company says the notice was a direct result of a recall in the U.S. last month, which was expanded on Thursday.

Read more about the recall and the affected products here.

— THE TOPIC —

Dengue fever warnings amid rising temperatures

— WHAT EXPERTS ARE SAYING —

If you are planning a winter getaway to a warmer climate, including the southern United States, you may want to consider the risk of dengue fever, health experts are warning.

Over the last 20 years, there has been a tenfold surge in dengue fever cases globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of reported infections, which are transmitted to humans from mosquitoes, increased dramatically from 500,000 in the year 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019.

And with a warming climate, Michael Libman, a specialist in infectious disease and a professor at McGill University, cautions that there could be a continued rise in cases, particularly in warmer regions that are popular travel destinations for Canadians such as Florida, Hawaii, Texas, and Arizona, and parts of southern Europe.

Because warmer and wet conditions help mosquitoes multiply, dengue has started to grow in these places, where it was previously uncommon, as global temperatures rise.

“The risk of dengue does seem to be going up (in tropical regions), and climate change seems to be playing a role in this, which is very important because climate change doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon,” Libman said. 

“I think the risk is increasing and people probably need to be a little bit more cautious.”