November 2011
FOCUS on Advocacy
Osteoporosis Canada hosted its Inaugural FOCUS Forum on November 12-14,
2011. The Focus Forum was attended by a multi-disciplinary group of health professionals and Osteoporosis
Canada (OC) volunteers from across Canada. Read more
November 2011
Ottawa Chapter Releases Its 2012 Osteoporosis
Calendar
The Ottawa Chapter of Osteoporosis Canada has released their 2012
osteoporosis calendar this November. Read more
October 2011
Anthony Rose is Crowned 2011 Bone Appétit Chef Challenge
Champion For The 2nd Year Running!
Once the votes were in and counted Anthony Rose, executive chef of the Drake
Hotel, won over the taste bud's of the audience with his "Roast Maple Pork Loin" and was named the Bone
Appétit Chef Champion for the 2nd year running. Read more
September 2011
Congratulations to Dr. Brian Lentle!
Dr. Brian Lentle is the 2011 Lindy Fraser Memorial Award recipient! This
prestigious award recognizes individuals who have done exemplary research and have helped to increase the
knowledge about osteoporosis. Read more
September 2011
A Broken Bone May Be A Warning Sign of
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis Canada is pleased to announce the launch of a new brochure
alerting Canadians to the fact that a broken bone may be a warning sign of osteoporosis. Read more
July 2011
Marg MacDonell Receives the 2011 Lieutenant Governor’s Make
A Difference Award
Osteoporosis Canada would like to congratulate Marg MacDonell, an inspiring
and dedicated volunteer at Osteoporosis Canada, Manitoba Chapter, for being awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s
Make A Difference Award. Recipients of this award have made contributions to their community through
leadership, personal initiative and determination. Read more
July 2011
Congratulations to Paul Kirkconnell, appointed Executive
Vice-President, Venture Capital of the Business Development Bank of Canada
Osteoporosis Canada would like to congratulate Paul Kirkconnell,
Osteoporosis Canada board member, on his appointment as Executive Vice-President, Venture Capital of the
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). With over 25 years of experience in investments, business
development, corporate strategy and consulting, Mr. Kirkconnell will lead BDC’s direct and indirect venture
capital investments in technology-based businesses, and strategic initiatives designed to stimulate Canada’s
venture capital and innovation ecosystems. Read more
May 2011
Upcoming Virtual Education Forum
On Wednesday, June 29, 2011, Dr. Rowena Ridout will be reviewing currently
approved therapies for osteoporosis in Canada. Register for this event and have your questions answered by
Dr. Ridout in real-time. Read more
May 2011
Mobile App for iPhone and Windows Phone
7
The Osteoporosis Canada 10 year Fracture Risk Assessment Tool has been
developed based on the Canadian 2010 Osteoporosis Guidelines and the Canadian Association of Radiologists and
Osteoporosis Canada (CAROC) system. This app conveniently provides healthcare professionals with a calculator
to determine a patient’s 10 year risk of fracture and a summary of the guideline recommendations for the
treatment and management of osteoporosis. Read more
April 2011
The Potential Link Between Thyroid Medication and Senior's
Fracture Risk
We are aware of recent media reports about the potential link between
thyroid medication and senior's fracture risk.
April 2011
Osteoporosis Canada Presents the 5th Annual Bone
Appetit Chef Challenge
Save the Date! Osteoporosis Canada is holding our 5th Annual Bone
Appetit Chef Challenge on October 21, 2011 at The Old Mill Inn & Spa, one of Toronto’s most beautiful and
historic venues. Read more
April 2011
The Potential Link Between Calcium Supplement Intake and
Vascular Events
We are aware of recent media reports about the potential link between
calcium supplement intake and vascular events. This issue has been addressed by the Scientific Advisory
Council at Osteoporosis Canada in response to a previous study linking calcium supplementation and vascular
events.
March 2011
The Osteoporosis Canada's Rich Media Website and BlueRush Digital Media Corp Win The “Best Non-Profit Online
Video” Award
The new Osteoporosis Canada 2010 Clinical Practice Guidelines rich media
website, designed and developed in collaboration with BlueRush Digital Media Corp, has won the award for
“Best Non-Profit Online Video” in the 2011 Internet Advertising Competition. Read
more
March 2011
Osteoporosis Canada Releases White Paper On Canada’s Post Fracture Care Gap
On Monday, March 28th, 2011, Osteoporosis Canada released a white paper that
assists health professionals and the public better understand the current post fracture care gap. Read more
February
2011
LCBO stores raise funds for Osteoporosis Canada
Starting on March 1, the public can help support Osteoporosis Canada by
making a donation at any of the more than 600 LCBO stores throughout Ontario. Read
more
February
2011
Dr. Famida Jiwa Re-elected As Chair of the Patient Societies Subcommittee of the CNS
Congratulations to Dr. Famida Jiwa, Vice Chair of the Committee of National
Societies (CNS) of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), who has recently been re-elected to the
position of Chair of the Patient Societies Subcommittee of the CNS of the IOF for a 2nd term of two years,
effective December 2010. Read more
February
2011
Vitamin D: Hope or Hype?
On February 2nd in Toronto, CIHRs Café Scientifique presented a forum on the
future of vitamin D. There has been considerable controversy surrounding and media attention paid to vitamin
D: what are optimum intake levels and what are its true health benefits? Read
more
February
2011
All Canadian Women At Increased Risk Of Broken Bones One Step Closer To Having Access To A New Treatment
Option
Today Quebec is providing access to a therapy in a new class of osteoporosis
treatments. With Quebec being the first province to list Prolia® (denosumab) on public and private
drug plans, Canadians living with osteoporosis in the province of Quebec now have access to increased
treatment options. Read more
January
2011
BC Pharmacare Coverage Extended for Risedronate and Alendronate
Risedronate daily (5mg) or weekly (35mg) is now covered by BC Phamacare under
the Limited Coverage Drugs – Special Authority Criteria. These criteria include:
- Patients having had a clinical (painful)
osteoporotic fracture or a fracture identified by X-ray;
- Patients taking or about to take glucocorticoid
medication orally or by injection at the equivalent dose of 7.5mg prednisone daily or greater for 3 months or
longer.
Alendronate (daily or weekly) is now also
available under Special Authority Criteria for patients taking or about to take glucocorticoid medication
orally or by injection at the equivalent dose of 7.5mg prednisone daily or greater for 3 months or
longer.
January
2011
Dr Angela Cheung Named Lillian Love Chair in Women’s Health
Dr Angela Cheung has just been named as the holder of the Lillian Love Chair
in Women’s Health at the University Health Network in Toronto. This prestigious position was established in
1995, designed to develop education, research and other scholarly activities in the field of women’s health.
The mission is to initiate developmental facilities and promote excellence in research, education and health
service delivery of those diseases and conditions that affect women. Read more
January
2011
Renu Kapoor receives The 2010 Regina Citizen of the Year Award
Renu Kapoor, a former board member of Osteoporosis Canada and an active
member of the OC's Regina Chapter, has been awarded The 2010 Regina Citizen of the Year Award! This award
acknowledges her tireless efforts as a volunteer, donating thousands of hours to raising funds to better the
lives of others. Renu has played a leading role in funding treatment of Osteoporosis and we at Osteoporosis
Canada would like to congratulate her on this great accomplishment. Read more
December
2010
What is the impact of osteoporosis in Canada and what are Canadians doing to maintain healthy
bones?
The Public Health Agency of Canada has released a factsheet titled 'What
is the impact of osteoporosis in Canada and what are Canadians doing to maintain healthy bones?’, a
result of a questionnaire on osteoporosis funded for two-months of the 2009 Statistics Canada Canadian
Community Health Survey. A nationally-representative sample of 5,849 people 40 years of age or older living
in the community participated in the survey. This factsheet provides information on the prevalence,
assessment, prevention and management of osteoporosis in Canada. Read more
November
2010
Vitamin D testing for Ontario residents without proven vitamin D deficiency diseases to no longer be covered
by OHIP
The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has announced that of
December 1st, 2010, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) will no longer cover the cost of vitamin D
testing. However persons with proven vitamin D deficiency diseases, including osteopenia, osteoporosis,
rickets, malabsorption syndromes and renal disease, will continue to be covered. Read more
November
2010
2010 Lindy Fraser Memorial Award Recipient
Osteoporosis Canada (OC) is proud to announce Dr. Angela Cheung as the 2010
Lindy Fraser Memorial Award recipient. The Lindy Fraser Memorial Award was created in 1994 under the banner
of Osteoporosis Canada to recognize individuals who have done exemplary research and have helped to increase
the knowledge about osteoporosis. Read more
November
2010
Pearls of Wisdom and iris note cards now on SALE
Pearls of Wisdom are now on sale for the holidays! Perfect for holiday and
teacher gifts! 50% for the general public and 60% off for all current OC members. Read more
November
2010
Men and women lose bone strength as they age, but for different reasons
Three-dimensional bone imaging provides valuable clues about
osteoporosis. Read more
October
2010
CEO Announcement
The Board of Directors of Osteoporosis Canada is pleased to announce the
appointment of Dr. Famida Jiwa to the position of President & CEO. Read more
October
2010
Focus on Fractures: Osteoporosis Canada Launches New Clinical Practice Guidelines
Osteoporosis Canada announces new 2010 clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of
osteoporosis in Canada. Read
more
October 2010
Update: Bisphosphonates and atypical fractures
We are aware of the recent Health Canada notification of an ongoing review
of bisphosphonates as well as recent media reports that long-term use of bisphosphonates for osteoporosis
(sold under the names of Fosamax [alendronate] and Actonel [risedronate]) may be associated with the
occurrence of unusual fractures, most commonly reported to affect the thigh bone. Health Canada currently
considers benefits of bisphosphonates outweigh risks. As mentioned in a recent task force report of the
American Society for Bone Mineral Research (ASBMR), atypical fractures are very rare, but one should be aware
of warning signs and symptoms in someone on long term bisphosphonate therapy. Our team of experts has
prepared the following information statements:
October 2010
Osteoporosis Patient Bill of
Rights
With more than a year in the making and extensive consultation with members of the Canadian Osteoporosis
Patient Network (COPN), Osteoporosis Canada is proud to present the Osteoporosis Canada Patient Bill
of Rights. Read
more
September 2010
Health Canada approves PROLIATM (denosumab) as new choice in osteoporosis
therapy
Amgen Canada today announced that Health Canada has approved Prolia™
(denosumab) as another treatment choice for osteoporosis patients. Read more
August 2010
Osteoporosis Canada statement on esophageal cancer and bisphosphonate use
We are aware of a recent publication that reports on the association between
oral bisphosphonate use and esophageal cancer. Read more
August 2010
Special Announcement - Organizational changes
A special announcement from Ken Chong, Chair of the Board, to all
stakeholders. Read
more
July 2010
The potential link between calcium supplement intake and
vascular events
We are aware of recent media reports about the potential link between
calcium supplement intake and vascular events. This issue has been addressed by the Scientific Advisory
Council at Osteoporosis Canada in response to a previous study linking calcium supplementation and vascular
events.
July 2010
New vitamin D guidelines - Physicians say Canadians should
be taking more supplements
New and updated guidelines on recommended vitamin D intake have been
published this week in the online issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Read more
July 2010
FRAX® tool now available in Canada
You may have heard about FRAX®, a fracture risk assessment system from the World Health Organization (WHO) that was released in
March 2008. It lets an individual enter their risk factors (for example, having broken a bone, being a smoker
or on a steroid medication) as well as bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip. The FRAX tool then calculates
the 10-year risk of hip fracture and the 10-year risk of a major osteoporotic fracture (spine, forearm, hip
or shoulder fracture). The Canadian FRAX tool is now available on the FRAX website and as an iPhone application. Read more
June 2010
Congratulations to Cheryl Baldwin, newest
member of the Order of the Red Cross
We are honoured to announce that Cheryl Baldwin, long-time volunteer with Osteoporosis Canada and currently Vice-Chair of our
Board of Directors, was recently admitted to the Order of the Red Cross - Member Level. Read more
June 2010
Most women unaware of fracture risk
according to recent study
According to recent findings from the Global Longitudinal Study of
Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) emerging from McMaster univeristy in Hamilton, most post-menopausal women at
risk for hip and other osteoporosis-related fractures aren't aware of their actual risk of breaking a
bone. Read more
May 2010
New JAMA study: annual high-dose of vitamin D and falls and
fractures
We are aware of a new study relating a single, high annual dose of vitamin D and falls and
fractures. The study has been reviewed by experts from the Scientific Advisory Council at Osteoporosis Canada
and their response is available here. What does this study mean for people
living with osteoporosis? Read information prepared by OC's Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network (COPN) here.
March 2010
Update: Biphosphonates and atypical
fractures
We are aware of recent media reports that long-term use of
bisphosphonates for osteoporosis (sold under the names of Fosamax [alendronate] and Actonel [risedronate])
may be associated with the occurrence of unusual fractures, most commonly reported to affect the thigh
bone.We recognize that you might find these reports concerning. Osteoporosis Canada takes your concerns
seriously and we will continue to be vigilant in order to inform you about the latest research. The media
coverage and accompanying data has been reviewed by experts from the Scientific Advisory Council at
Osteoporosis Canada and their response is available here.
March 2010
Product recall advisory - Nexus rollator
walker by Dana Douglas
As directed by Health Canada, mobility devices manufacturer
Dana Douglas issued a notice in January of 2010 to advise retailers of a medical device recall. Four (4)
recalls in total were listed affecting the Nexus 1, 2 and 3 rollators. Only authorized Home Medical Equipment
(HME) dealers can perform the necessary repairs to affected units. There will be no cost to the end-user for
either replacement parts or the labour to repair the unit. Specific details are still to come and will be
announced as soon as information becomes available. A detailed description of the four (4) recalls is
available on the Dana Douglas website and includes affected models and serial numbers and/or production
dates. For more information, please visit the Dana Douglas website at http://www.danadouglas.com/notifications.htm or call the
recall centre at 1-866-770-5065.
December 2009
Expanded Coverage of Alendronate in
BC
Effective November 18, 2009, coverage in BC for alendronate daily (10 mg)
and weekly (70 mg) has been expanded. They are now available for PharmaCare coverage through the Special
Authority Program for patients who have fractured due to osteoporosis. Patients do not have to have failed
with etidronate to be eligible. These criteria also apply to the newly listed combination product Fosavance®
(70 mg alendronate/5600 IU vitamin D3). Patients who currently have Special Authority approval for
alendronate are automatically covered for the combination product. Effective January 18, 2010, under the Low
Cost Alternative category, Fosavance® will become a full benefit under Special Authority; alendronate 10 mg
and 70 mg will be partial benefits. Since these medications are Limited Coverage Drugs, approval is subject
to specific criteria, which can be found at http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/sa/criteria/restricted/restrictedtable.html,
along with the Special Authority request forms.
September 2009
Dr. Suzanne Morin receives 2009 Lindy Fraser
Memorial Award
Osteoporosis Canada proudly recognizes Dr. Suzanne Morin as
the 2009 Lindy Fraser Memorial Award recipient. Each year, Osteoporosis Canada recognizes a member of the
Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) with the Lindy Fraser Memorial Award, honouring the personal efforts of a
feisty woman from Ottawa who suffered greatly from her osteoporotic fractures before there was adequate
treatment, and was among the first in Canada to be treated with newer therapies. Read more
August 2009
Dr. Jacques Brown admitted to rank of Knight of the National Order of Québec
Osteoporosis Canada is happy to announce that Dr. Jacques Brown,
rheumatologist and Canadian expert in the field of metabolic bone diseases, was recently admitted to the rank
of Knight of the National Order of Quebec. Read more
August 2009
Study shows hip fracture rates in Canada are
declining
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) on August 26, 2009, “Trends in Hip Fracture Rates in Canada,” has shown that overall,
standardized (i.e. age-adjusted) rates of hip fractures have steadily declined in Canada since 1985.
Read more
July 2009
Better access to treatment to help
osteoporosis patients in Ontario
Effective June 23, 2009, the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB)
Formulary has announced that the Ontario government is listing FOSAVANCE® 70mg/5600IU once-weekly dosage as a
General Benefit. Reimbursement will be similar to generic alendronate. Read more
June 2009
Osteoporosis Canada celebrates its
volunteers!
At the recent AGM in Burlington, Ontario, a special
volunteer recognition dinner was held to honour OC’s 2009 award recipients. Through obstacles, health
concerns, competing demands for time, and the trials and tribulations of daily life, OC’s volunteers continue
to show great dedication to the organization and the osteoporosis cause. Read more
June 2009
Osteoporosis Canada announces organizational
changes
Following our Annual General Meeting on June 13th,
Osteoporosis Canada is pleased to welcome four new Chairs to the leadership of its Board of Directors, its
Scientific Advisory Council, its Operations Advisory Council, as well as the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient
Network. Read
more
June 2009
Health Canada approves new dosing option for
Actonel
Health Canada has approved a 150mg dosing option for Actonel
® (risedronate sodium tablets), making it the only once-a-month dosing option in Canada for the treatment of
postmenopausal osteoporosis. Read more
June 2009
Congratulations to Dr. Famida Jiwa, new CNS
Vice Chair
Congratulations to Dr. Famida Jiwa, who has recently been
appointed as Vice Chair of the Committee of National Societies (CNS) of the International Osteoporosis
Foundation (IOF). Read
more
May 2009
May is National Physiotherapy Month in
Canada
May is National Physiotherapy Month and the Canadian
Physiotherapy Association (CPA) is putting the spotlight on four practice areas. Read more
May 2009
Osteoporosis Canada is proud to celebrate
volunteer week!
From coast to coast, volunteers strengthen our communities.
At Osteoporosis Canada, over 1200 volunteers dedicate many hours working at our Chapters and Branches across
the country. Our Board of Directors are all volunteers, as well as our Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) and
the Executive of the Canadian Osteoporosis Patient Network (COPN). Our toll-free, bilingual
information/counselling line is staffed by volunteers. Read more
April 2009
Closing the Gap donates $15,000 to
Osteoporosis Canada
Osteoporosis Canada has recently received a $15,000 donation
from Closing the Gap Healthcare Group, made in recognition of the strong affiliation between the health and
educational services provided to their patients and clients and the work of Osteoporosis Canada. Read more
March 2009
Timeless Women - The Campaign for Stronger
Bones
The Timeless Women PR campaign was first launched in Europe,
with campaign material developed by Novartis in collaboration with the International Osteoporosis Foundation
(IOF) and Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA), and was then launched in Canada in March of 2009,
with participation from Osteoporosis Canada. Read more
March 2009
Chartwell REIT donates $82,439 to
Osteoporosis Canada!
Osteoporosis Canada is pleased at our continuing partnership
with Chartwell REIT following this year’s generous donation. The cheque presentation took place at The
Gardens at Qualicum Beach on February 13th, 2009. Read more
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