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[12] Requiring GMP certification for medical cannabis products could, however, result in a 2-tier regulatory system (with GPP and GMP certification required for recreational and medical cannabis products, respectively), and some producers may elect to exit the medical cannabis market. Health Canada also maintains a system for reporting adverse events associated with cannabis products on its Canada Vigilance website.[9] Licensed cannabis producers are required to report serious adverse events associated with the use of their products, but it is not mandatory for health care providers to do so. Children with chronic debilitating illness and pain are increasingly using cannabis for medical purposes, particularly when conventional treatment options have limited benefit or substantial adverse effects. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Oral morphine for postoperative pain after minor pediatric surgery, while increasingly popular, is not supported by evidence. We evaluated whether oral morphine was superior to ibuprofen for at-home management of children's postoperative pain.Methods: We conducted a randomized superiority trial comparing oral morphine (0.5 mg/kg) with ibuprofen (10 mg/kg) in children 5 to 17 years of age who had undergone minor outpatient orthopedic surgery (June 2013 to September 2016). Participants took up to 8 doses of the intervention drug every 6 hours as needed for pain at home. The primary outcome was pain, according to the Faces Pain Scale - Revised, for the first dose. Secondary outcomes included additional analgesic requirements, adverse effects, unplanned health care visits and pain scores for doses 2 to 8.Results: We analyzed data for 77 participants in each of the morphine and ibuprofen groups. Both interventions decreased pain scores with no difference in efficacy. The median difference in pain score before and after the first dose of medication was 1 (interquartile range 0-1) for both morphine and ibuprofen (p = 0.2). For doses 2 to 8, the median differences in pain score before and after the dose were not significantly different between groups. Significantly more participants taking morphine reported adverse effects (45/65 [69%] v. 26/67 [39%], p < 0.001), most commonly drowsiness (31/65 [48%] v. 15/67 [22%] in the morphine and ibuprofen groups, respectively; p = 0.003).Interpretation: Morphine was not superior to ibuprofen, and both drugs decreased pain with no apparent difference in efficacy. Morphine was associated with significantly more adverse effects, which suggests that ibuprofen is a better first-line option after minor surgery.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, no. NCT01686802. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the 2015 clinical practice guideline on reducing pain during childhood vaccination in Canada, published by the Help Eliminate Pain in Kids, an independent cross-Canada multidisciplinary team. The scope and methods of the guideline is discussed. Also discussed is the development of the guideline.

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The article presents a case study of a 22-day-old male neonate who was subjected to acetaminophen overdose following routine circumcision. It informs that as the patient had received more than the toxic dose of acetaminophen, treatment with N-acetylcysteine was suggested. Acetaminophen is generally used as antipyretic and analgesic in children which severe consequences in case of overdose.

The article discusses the effect of vaccine injections conducted in childhood, which are significant source of distress. It states that the long-term consequences for untreated pain will include hyperalgesia, avoidance of health care, and preprocedural fear. Moreovoer, there are available cost-effective, evidenced based pain-relieving schemes.

The article discusses the needs and issues surrounding rural women in Canada regarding pharmacologic information and therapy. It examines the needs and issues regarding drug-related information and prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals. It applies a qualitative research of interpretive description using in-depth semistructured face-to-face interviews with 20 women aged 17-88 years who lived in rural southwestern Ontario.

The article reviews the availability of and accessibility to health care services and resources in rural and remote areas of Canada, highlighting the pharmacological issues of women. The article reports that the health of rural residents are worse than their urban counterparts. The article cites several reasons for the limited access to health care including lack of transportation, distances to medical care facilities, the nature of rural physician practice, and local attitudes and beliefs.

Focuses on the challenges of conducting drug research in the pediatric population in Canada. Technical and ethical hindrances; Problem with the drug approval process; Discussion on U.S. policy innovations that encourage the testing of medications in children.

Reports on the role of physicians in caring for young people involved in rave parties. Description of raves as nocturnal dance parties at which recreational drugs are used; Kind of drugs that are used at raves and their adverse effects; Implications of rave culture for the physician; Evaluation, stabilization and treatment of these patients.

The author reflects on the use of statins as a drug therapy for children and youth with hypercholesterolemia in the U.S. He argues that even if the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended the use of statins, there is a limited evidence that proves its efficacy. He also points out that the long-term safety and risk factors of the medicine should be definitely established. He proposes the implementation of assessment programs on the long-term use of statins and the use of alternative medicine.