The Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada is undertaking a review of the licensure of physicians, which includes three interrelated projects: developing a cross-jurisdiction licence for telemedicine; expediting the granting of full, unrestricted licences for physicians who want to work in different provinces; and a licence portability agreement.

The days of printed copies of practice standards gathering dust in a binder are long over. Living standards, which can evolve and adapt with time, require a robust multi-step review process inclusive of stakeholder consultation. While the number of emails sent to registrants from the College may seem vexing, it is hoped that insight into the policy review cycle will help foster an appreciation for both the value and the utility of routine consultation.

The Ministry of Health has made minor updates to the provincial forms for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in response to feedback from practitioners. 

From a patient perspective, providing large numbers of pills increases the risk of medication administration error and misuse. From a public health perspective, large dispenses increase the risk of diversion into the community. Pharmacovigilance dictates that prescription sizes should be modest.

Access Medicine is a collection of current, online texts for background knowledge and quick answers at the point of care. As a resource, it contains numerous ebooks, a drug database, patient handouts, multimedia, and self-assessment questions for exam and board review.

• Nguyen, Viem Chung – April 1, 2019