Articles
FDA Announces 20 Dangerous Drugs You Should NOT Be On
A 2007 federal law requires the FDA to disclose all its investigations into reports of possibly drug-related adverse events. The first of this series of quarterly reports has been released. It includes adverse events reported between January 1 and March 31, 2008.
Here’s the list of drugs and the adverse events that have been reported:
- Arginine Hydrochloride Injection (R-Gene 10) — Pediatric overdose due to labeling and packaging confusion
- Desflurane (Suprane) — Cardiac arrest
- Duloxetine (Cymbalta) — Urinary retention
- Etravirine (Intelence) — Hemarthrosis (blood in a joint)
- Fluorouracil Cream (Carac) and Ketoconazole Cream (Kuric) — Adverse events due to name confusion
- Heparin — Anaphylactic-type (life-threatening allergic) reactions
- Icodextrin (Extraneal) — Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Insulin U-500 (Humulin R) — Dosing confusion
- Ivermectin (Stromectol) and Warfarin — Drug interaction
- Lapatinib (Tykerb) — Hepatotoxicity (liver toxicity)
- Lenalidomide (Revlimid) — Stevens-Johnson syndrome (a deadly drug reaction)
- Natalizumab (Tysabri) — Skin melanomas (deadly skin cancer)
- Nitroglycerin (Nitrostat) — Overdose due to labeling confusion
- Octreotide Acetate Depot (Sandostatin LAR) — Ileus (bowels not moving)
- Oxycodone Hydrochloride Controlled-Release (OxyContin) — Drug misuse, abuse, and overdose
- Perflutren Lipid Microsphere (Definity) — Cardiopulmonary reactions (lung/heart problems)
- Phenytoin Injection (Dilantin) — Purple glove syndrome (discoloration, pain, and swelling of the hand that may lead to amputation)
- Quetiapine (Seroquel) — Overdose due to sample pack labeling confusion
- Tebivudine (Tyzeka) — Peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in the extremities)
- Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Blockers — Cancers in children and young adults
Sources:
Quick Facts About Canada’s Organic Sector
What it is
Organic agriculture is a holistic production system designed to optimize productivity and fitness of diverse communities within the agroecosystem, including soil organisms, plants, livestock and people. The principal goal of organic production is to develop enterprises that are sustainable and harmonious with the environment.
What it isn’t
Organic agriculture does not allow the use of:
- Synthetic pesticides, including fungicides, insecticides, rodenticides, defoliants, desicants and wood preservatives
- Synthetic fertilizers
- Materials and products produced from genetic engineering
- Sewage sludge
- Synthetic growth regulators (hormones)
- Synthetic veterinary drugs, including antibiotics and parasiticides
- Irradiation
- Synthetic processing substances, aids and ingredients, and additions to food including sulphates, nitrates and nitrites
- Equipment, packaging materials and storage containers, or bins that contain a synthetic fungicide, preservative or fumigant
- Genetically modified organisms
Canadian Standards and Regulations
Canada has had a national organic standard in place since 1999. Recently, in anticipation of the new federal organic regulation, the organic sector worked with the Canadian General Standards Board to update the national organic standard. Part I (Organic Production Systems General Principals and Management Standards; CAN/CGSB-32.310-2006) details the agricultural practices that are acceptable in organic agriculture production systems, while Part II (Organic Production Systems Permitted Substances Lists; CAN/CGSB-32.311-2006) lists substances that are permitted for use in organic systems.
Under the new organic regulation, passed December 2006, organic certification bodies are to be accredited by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency based on the recommendation of approved accreditation bodies. Certification bodies are tasked with the job of ensuring that the organic farms or processing facilities that they certify as organic are in compliance with the organic standard. Verification is done by trained independent inspectors who visit the farms or processing facilities annually. The organic standard and regulation is available.
On December 21, 2006, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency published the final organic regulation. This regulation enshrines the new organic standard in law and allows for the creation of a new federally managed organic office.
Industry Facts
- Organics is the fastest growing sector in agriculture, with sales increasing at 20% per year.
- In 2005, the last year for which there are statistics, Canada had 3618 certified organic producers. Another 241 farmers were making the transition from conventional to organic farming
- Saskatchewan is home to close to one-third of all certified organic producers in Canada
- Over 1.3 million acres (530,919 ha) of land in Canada is used to grow organic food. Another 118,500 acres (47,955 ha) is in transition to certification
- Organic farm operations reflect the bioregional diversity across the country in the same way as conventional agriculture. For example, the majority of the organic farms on the Prairies are producing grains and pulses, organic dairy producers are found primarily in Ontario and Quebec and most of the certified organic tree fruit production occurs in central British Columbia.
- Wheat is Canada’s largest organic crop with over 187,000 acres (75,816 ha)
- Organic livestock production is increasing dramatically. From 2004 to 2005, the beef herd increased by 30%, sheep numbers by 19%, layers by 20% and broilers by 56%
- The number of certified organic processors and handlers increased by 47% between 2004 and 2005, with the largest increases observed in British Columbia and Quebec. This represents the second year of dramatic growth in the processing sector. Between 2003 and 2004, the number of processors jumped by 48% with most of the gains occurring in Ontario and Manitoba
Sources:
