Canadian Drug Policy Coalition launches national dialogue series on the overdose crisis and COVID-19

Using learnings from the pandemic to respond to Canada's other public health crisis

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Never before in Canadian history have communities confronted two concurrent public health catastrophes like the overdose crisis, fueled by a toxic drug supply, and a coronavirus pandemic that has uprooted the routines of daily life and society. At the heart of these converging crises are people who use drugs. COVID-19 has made everything worse for this community at a time when overdose deaths are rising across the country and individual health and safety is more precarious than ever. 

In response to this unprecedented time, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition at Simon Fraser University, in partnership with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, is launching Getting to Tomorrow: Ending the Overdose Crisis—18 public health dialogues across Canada over the next two years aimed at identifying and moving towards solutions to the overdose crisis, in the context of COVID-19, by building consensus and shared meaning.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the illegal drug toxicity death crisis as a catastrophic failure of Canada's current approach to drugs. Governments have moved mountains in response to the COVID-19 pandemic while a coherent pan-Canadian approach to over 15,000 overdose deaths in the past four and a half years has failed to materialize," said Donald MacPherson, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. "We hope the Getting to Tomorrow dialogue series will inform, engage, and inspire Canadians to become more involved in building a new approach to drugs based on principles of public health and human rights, and lead to improved health and safety for all in our communities."

Getting to Tomorrow is also hoping to use learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve Canada's overdose response at a time when lives are being lost at an unprecedented rate. More specifically, Getting to Tomorrow has three main goals:

1. Accelerate the adoption of public health- and human rights-based drug policies to guide government responses to drugs in Canada 
2. Empower decision makers and the public to take evidence-based actions by providing the latest research on policies that could end the overdose crisis 
3. Engage the public in dialogue on issues related to substance use and drug policy 

The dialogues will happen virtually (open to invited attendees only) and will invite leaders from diverse communities, including people who use drugs, community and business leaders, government officials, First Nations, public health officials, and law enforcement, to share their stories of navigating the challenges of the overdose crisis during a time of pandemic and global instability. By sharing perspectives and stories, communities can come to recognize the commonalities that unite us rather than the differences that set us apart. This can lay the groundwork for transformative change.

Getting to Tomorrow will begin in Montreal on October 7 with community partner l'Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ). 

"As Montreal is one of the epicentres of COVID-19 in Canada, the lives of people who use substances are more than ever at risk as the number of overdoses is dramatically rising," said Sandhia Vadlamudy, executive director of l'Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec. "Having such a dialogue in Montreal, as well as any other city, will help us understand each other's perspectives and work together towards better longer-term solutions where everybody wins." 

Getting to Tomorrow is supported by Health Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program.

www.gettingtotomorrow.ca 

About Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) is a coalition of 50 organizations and 4,000 individuals working to support the development of progressive drug policy grounded in science, guided by public health principles, and respectful of human rights. The CDPC operates as a project within Simon Fraser University under the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction. The CDPC seeks to include people who use drugs and those harmed by the war on drugs in moving toward a healthier Canadian society free of stigma and social exclusion.

About Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue
Simon Fraser University's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue creates real-world impact for society's most pressing challenges by using dialogue and engagement to co-create solutions, exchange knowledge, support community-engaged learning, and to build the capacity of others in the knowledge and practice of dialogue. They strive to bring together diverse voices, stories, perspectives and experiences, with a goal to increase understanding about others and ourselves. It is a conversational process intended to help us gain insight into complex problems to which no one person holds the answer.

About Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ)
AIDQ is a non-profit organization that includes stakeholders from all sectors interested in the field of addictions in Quebec, such as the public, private and community sectors, public health and social services, education, universities, research, public safety and the workplace. AIDQ's mission is to promote and support intervention in the areas of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and the social reintegration of people with addictions and those at risk of becoming addicted, through skills development, information, collaboration, and the sharing of expertise.

SOURCE Canadian Drug Policy Coalition

Gripping Account of Suicide Attempt and Recovery Aims to Break the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

New York NY, October 6, 2020 — Mark Henick is one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health. His powerful TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is among the most watched in the world and shares his unforgettable account of standing on an overpass and letting go. He is one of the lucky few to plunge into the seemingly unforgiving darkness and somehow awaken to the hopeful light of day.  

He shares his vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery in So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, in which he vividly recounts his heart-pounding moments on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. 

Henick’s near-death experience that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.

So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. 

So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.

“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.

Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.

To watch Henick’s powerful TEDx talk, please visit https://youtu.be/D1QoyTmeAYw. For more information, please visit www.markhenick.com or connect with the author on the following social media sites: www.facebook.com/markhenick/; https://twitter.com/markhenick; and www.youtube.com/markhenick.

So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: January 12, 2021

ISBN-10: 1443455032 

ISBN-13: 978-1443455039

Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Audible and others 

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Government of Ontario COVID-19 recovery must address mental health and addiction crisis warn experts

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Everything is not all right, warned Ontario's leading mental health and addiction organizations including, Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Children's Mental Health Ontario, The Royal, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in a meeting with Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo. The group discussed the critical importance of embedding mental health and addiction as part of recovery efforts for the impact of COVID-19. 

The pandemic of mental illness predated COVID-19 by decades. Mental illness, including substance use, is a burning hot issue right now. Before the onset of COVID-19 more than one million people in Ontario experienced mental health and addiction challenges every year. Ontarians were already facing up to 2.5 year wait times to access mental health and addiction services in some cases, often turning to emergency rooms in crisis. 

The mental health of Ontarians is an economic issue. The pandemic of mental illness and addiction is affecting Ontarians' ability to work, earn an income, pay taxes, maintain stable housing and care for their families. We are greatly concerned about the effects on generations to come if we do not embed sustained, mental health and addiction care as part of recovery efforts. 

Ontario's mental health and addiction leaders are critically concerned about the impact that COVID-19 has already had on Ontarians, in particular the trauma endured by front line professionals and those who have lost loved ones. Research shows that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racialized and lower-income people. Overdose rates and opioid related deaths have increased during the months of the pandemic by up to 35-40% on a weekly basis, according to Ontario's Chief Coroner. The most vulnerable, children and seniors, are at high risk, with some child and youth mental health centres already seeing a 20 to 50 per cent increase in the rate of demand since last year. 

Providers of mental health and addiction services continue to advocate to the Ministry of Health and the Ontario government, asking that they reaffirm their commitment to develop and implement a comprehensive and connected system for Ontarians, investing $3.8 billion over ten years. This includes flowing $380 million in immediate funds for new services before the end of the year, along with the release of an implementation plan that includes specific priority outcomes and accountabilities. This also includes multi-year funding to support and save the lives of those impacted by mental health and addiction issues. 

Now is a critical time to invest the committed funding into the mental health of Ontarians, an investment that will pay both health and economic-related dividends for years to come. 

In our meeting we stressed the importance of the Ontario government meeting its mental health and addiction commitment. We are concerned that two years after coming into government there is still no funding to reduce wait times for Ontarians waiting for mental health and addiction services. 

We are calling for a recommitment to the government's promise to invest $3.8 billion over ten years to build a comprehensive and connected mental health and addiction system. 

To date, the province has not kept up with promised, targeted investments for mental health and addiction of $380 million per year, even as demands increase as a result of COVID-19. For the mental health and addiction sector to continue to provide the often life-saving treatment and services Ontarians need, a comprehensive system funding package is needed now.

SOURCE Addictions and Mental Health Ontario

Tenera Care Revolutionizes Senior Care Amid Global Pandemic

HALIFAX, NS, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Tenera Care, a wearable technology and data analytics platform, has become an invaluable tool for contact tracing in long term care facilities. With the COVID-19 pandemic, long term care facilities facing new challenges require unique solutions. Tenera provides a new way to protect and serve residents to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. 

The wearable device pinpoints an individual's location within 15cm. This level of accuracy is extremely effective in managing contact tracing when worn by all residents, staff, and visitors to a facility. During a global pandemic, this technology provides a level of transparency and visibility and means only people who need to be quarantined, are quarantined. 

"We now have an evidence-based approach for contact tracing to determine quickly and accurately who's at risk. Prior to Tenera, we used our best guess. Going forward, this technology provides us precise answers to where exposures were greatest so we can minimize the risk for people working and living in the building, and maximize the number of people who can come to work," said Jason Shannon, President of Shannex, a Halifax-based long term care continuum operating in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

A widespread installation of this platform presents an opportunity for public health. Tenera has been in discussions with provincial governments to finance the installation of the platform in long term care facilities. On top of the health benefits, this platform creates efficiencies in scheduling, with tangible savings to staffing costs. 

As Canada enters a second wave of COVID-19, finding ways to flatten the curve and protect the health of Canadians in long term care and beyond is more important than ever. Tenera sees the future of this platform in other industries like manufacturing. If implemented on a large scale, this contact tracing technology will be effective in supporting the health of our people and of our economy.

About Tenera Care

Tenera Care exists to help families live happier, healthier and safer lives. Tenera's platform provides reliable, modern, real-time technology to senior living facilities to monitor and analyze the health patterns and activities that impact the safety of residents and staff. Reducing risk and changing behaviours offers the best possible setting to provide care to residents and better work conditions for staff.

SOURCE Tenera Care

For further information:

Media Contact: Stewart Hardie, CEO GeoNavo Positioning Systems Inc. & the Tenera.care Platform, 902 403 3838, stewart@tenera.care

SnapCab Pandemic Pivot Highlighted in Export Development Canada's "Business as Unusual" National Advertising Campaign

Reinventing the Office of the Future

WARRINGTON, Pa. and KINGSTON, ON, Oct. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - The success story of how SnapCab pivoted its product line from meeting pods to individual isolation and testing pods is being featured by Export Development Canada (EDC) in a national advertising campaign, from now until the end of October. SnapCab, established in Warrington, Pennsylvania, has a new start-up factory in Kingston, Ontario, specializing in workspace products.

The national campaign titled, Business as Unusual, highlights SnapCab, along with two other EDC clients, who shifted their business models to support those living in a pandemic, and post-pandemic world. 

SnapCab manufactures mobile privacy pods for the open office environment. The company has been a client of EDC's for several years, and EDC chose to feature SnapCab due to its fast and innovative response to help. 

When the pandemic hit, founder and CEO Glenn Bostock knew that small meeting rooms would no longer be of interest – at least for now. 

"We quickly realized we had the design and manufacturing capabilities to develop medical testing pods for use by healthcare workers," Bostock said. "We started connecting with local medical experts for advice and guidance because we had no background in the medical field, but we knew we wanted to help." 

SnapCab designed and developed several prototypes for medical testing pods and is now working with CannonDesign to bring a final product to market. 

But, SnapCab's pivot didn't end there. With much of the office-bound workforce working from home, SnapCab took its Meet 4 and Meet 6 collaboration-style pod products and redesigned them into individual office pods. In addition, the team developed a Meet 2 home office pod, as well as the Consult – a two-person pod designed with a glass partition to provide a safe place for face-to-face interactions.

In fact, the Consult has been coined the "God Pod" by the Globe and Mail, CTV News and other national media for its use in a church in Ottawa. 

"We saw the need for people to return to the office, and we realized that our products were so flexible that we could help reinvent the office of the future by simply reworking our current pod designs into something more," Bostock said. 

Soon, SnapCab developed a "Kit of Parts" that included several pod designs with customizable frames, panels, finishes, colors, furniture, accessories and more. Plus, all SnapCab pods can connect to the SnapCab Connects hinging wall system that can be used to create small group work areas – a signature product to the pod market. 

"Something we've learned is that people are not going to go back to work the same way that they did before the pandemic," Bostock said. "There's a need now for less office space, but space that is much more flexible where all offices and walls are mobile. That's why we have designed this 'Kit of Parts' – to give people the tools they need to return to work."

All in all, Bostock's focus before the pandemic and throughout this pivot has been to be useful to customers, colleagues and the community.

"One thing we've learned from this is: start with trying to figure out how you can be useful and do something to help," Bostock says in the EDC commercial. "The energy around that creates people who want to work with you and partners who want to help you. Look for the upside and build on that." 

On SnapCab being selected amongst thousands of EDC clients to be featured in the campaign, Bostock feels nothing short of grateful. 

"To know that SnapCab was given an opportunity like this – it's truly once in a lifetime," he says.

About SnapCab

For over 35 years, SnapCab has been a leader in developing architectural products that are flexible, high quality and safe to use in a variety of environments. SnapCab Workspace offers a flexible "Kit of Parts" that is designed with a customizable frame, panels, finishes, colors, furniture, accessories and more. These isolated pods for the open are moveable, simple to clean, and can be combined with the SnapCab Connects walls to transform any workplace. workspace.snapcab.com

About Glenn Bostock, Founder & CEO

Glenn Bostock discovered the value of failure from a young age. Having struggled with learning disabilities as a student, his passion for woodworking taught him to view his mistakes as opportunities for improvement. This led to the development of his patented Interlocking Paneling (ILP) system, designed to fit imperfect spaces and to forgive small defects, which would become the basis for SnapCab Elevator and SnapCab Workspace. Today, Glenn builds his company with the same meticulous care as his fine cabinetry, creating space for communities of usefulness and a culture of continuous improvement.

SOURCE SnapCab

Prioritizing Mental Health Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2020

OTTAWA (October 5, 2020) – The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is proud to highlight that there is no health without mental health this Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). MIAW (October 4-10) is an annual public campaign to spread awareness on the reality of mental illness. The campaign looks to inform Canadians about the importance of mental health, and how it should be treated as a health priority in Canada.

One in five Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness at some point in their life. By age 40, 5 per cent of Canadians will have or have had a mental illness. As Canadians continue to grapple with the effects of the ongoing pandemic, the country is understanding more and more, that mental health needs to be a priority. 

“Mental Illness Awareness Week emphasizes that Canadians believe mental illness needs to be treated with parity,” said Dr Jenny Rowett, National President of CCPA. “Now, more than ever, as Canadians adjust their lifestyles to deal with COVID-19, we need to continue to advocate to prioritize mental health on the same level as physical health.”

MIAW was first established in 1992 and is now headed by the Canadian Alliance of Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with member organizations, including CCPA, and supporters across the country. 

“While we support raising awareness and removing stigmas around mental health, we recognize that tangible actions needs to be taken to support mental health,” said Carrie Foster, Quebec Anglophone Director for CCPA. “Tools are being developed to help people cope with the impact of COVID-19, but many people were already experiencing long wait times and barriers to accessing mental health treatment before the pandemic. We need to ensure they can access mental health services when they need them.”

Previously existing mental health problems coupled with the effects of isolation, job security, and trying to keep our families safe, mean we need to act now to ensure people are getting the help they need, when they need it. Counsellors and psychotherapists across the country have transitioned to online platforms, and are ready to provide their services. The services of counsellors and psychotherapists are cost-effective and are complementary to the work of other service providers.

“With the commitment from the federal government of increasing access to mental health resources in the Speech from the Throne, we are encouraged that mental illness awareness and access will continue on a positive path as we navigate through this pandemic,” concluded Dr Rowett. 

For more information about Mental Illness Awareness Week, visit www.camimh.ca.

If you are looking for therapeutic support, go to www.ccpa-accp.ca, where you can search for a Canadian Certified Counsellor in your region. Members of the public can also find authoritative information about the profession of counselling and psychotherapy by visiting CCPA’s public website, www.talkingcanhelp.ca

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The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is a national bilingual association providing professional counsellors and psychotherapists with access to exclusive educational programs, certification, professional development and direct contact with professional peers and specialty groups.  CCPA promotes the profession and its contribution to the mental health and well-being of all Canadians.  For more information on the counselling and psychotherapy profession, please visit www.ccpa-accp.ca.

Teva Canada announces availability of Aermony RespiClick™, an innovative new device for the treatment of bronchial asthma

Aermony RespiClick™ (fluticasone propionate inhalation powder), available in three dose options

• Asthma is a chronic, lifelong condition without a cure that can cause life-threatening symptoms and affects 3.8 million Canadians.^1–3
  
• Although inhaled medication is the cornerstone of therapy, incorrect inhaler technique is common—indicating that device selection is important and can affect outcomes.⁴

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Teva Canada, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., today announced product availability of Aermony RespiClick™, indicated for the maintenance treatment of steroid-responsive bronchial asthma as prophylactic therapy in patients 12 years of age and older⁵ and offered in a simple-to-use inhaler. 

Aermony RespiClick™ (fluticasone propionate inhalation powder) is packaged in an innovative device with features designed to simplify the administration of inhaled therapy and reduce patient error and confusion. One key feature is the innovative cap that integrates the opening and priming steps—thereby minimizing patients' coordination errors. A "click" sound confirms that the dose is ready, which helps support patient confidence in their dose and device.⁵

"Devices play a central role in the success of asthma therapy since the evidence clearly demonstrates an important association between inhaler errors and suboptimal asthma control.¹ It stands to reason that a device that is simple to use may also minimize errors that may lead to poor asthma control," said Dr. Anthony D'Urzo, a practising family physician and researcher at the University of Toronto. "Aermony RespiClick™ has desirable 'user-friendly' features that make it a welcome addition for patients who require maintenance therapy with a medication like fluticasone propionate."

"We're pleased that Aermony RespiClick™ is now available in Canada. With this innovative method of delivery of medication, respirologists and asthma patients will experience the simplified administration features the RespiClick™ device has to offer," said Christine Poulin, general manager of Teva Canada. "Aermony RespiClick™ is a meaningful expansion of our offerings in respirology, which currently include both proprietary and generic products."

Fluticasone propionate, the active ingredient in Aermony RespiClick™, has been extensively studied in clinical trials and has been available in the Canadian market for 27 years, since 1993.² Aermony RespiClick™ will enter the market offering a price advantage compared to the branded fluticasone propionate inhalation powder and will come in three dose options:

• 55 mcg per actuation 
• 113 mcg per actuation 
• 232 mcg per actuation 

Patients using Aermony RespiClick™ take one inhalation twice daily at the same time every day, approximately 12 hours apart.⁵

About bronchial asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airway that causes trouble breathing.³ It is a lifelong condition without a cure that affects 3.8 million people in Canada.^3,4,6 Six out of ten people do not have control of their disease.⁶ The cause of asthma remains unknown, but it is not contagious and appears to be caused by both hereditary and environmental factors.⁶An attack is often triggered by something in the environment, such as dust mites, animals, pollens, and viral infections, but the triggers are individual to each patient.⁷ An attack can happen suddenly and be life threatening.⁸ Inhalers are the cornerstone of treatment, but, despite the potential benefits of inhaler therapy, evidence suggests that many patients do not use their inhalers correctly.⁹ Therefore, device selection may play an important role in an individual patient's success on therapy.

About Aermony RespiClick^TM

Aermony RespiClick™ is indicated for the maintenance treatment of steroid-responsive bronchial asthma as prophylactic therapy in patients 12 years of age and older. Aermony RespiClick™ is available in three dose options: 55 mcg, 113 mcg, and 232 mcg per actuation. It is dosed as one inhalation twice daily at the same time every day, approximately 12 hours apart.

Helping improve the lives of Canadians

At Teva, we care deeply about the well-being of the patients, caregivers, and communities that rely on us. We serve 200 million people every day, with a promise to help them take better control of their health. From our role as a global leader in generic and brand-name medicines to the innovative solutions we create for our healthcare partners, we offer a unique perspective on health—here in Canada and around the world.

About Teva Canada 

Teva Canada, headquartered in Toronto, has provided affordable healthcare solutions to Canadians for over 50 years, building their trust one prescription at a time with now more than 217,000¹⁰ prescriptions filled each day with our products. Originally Novopharm Limited, Teva Canada specializes in the development, production, and marketing of high-quality generic prescription pharmaceuticals and, through our branded division, focuses on a diverse line of innovative products in a variety of therapeutic areas. Teva Canada employs more than 900 professionals, had sales of nearly $1.3 billion¹⁰ in 2019, and markets more than 385 products in 1,000 SKUs¹⁰ in Canada. We are a proud subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Learn more at www.tevacanada.com.

About Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve people's lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and specialty medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com.

____________________________________

SOURCE Teva Canada

Mid-Point Report Card: pan-Canadian Generics Initiative Has Delivered Close to $2-Billion in Savings

TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Canadians have saved close to $2-billion in prescription drug costs during the first half of the five-year agreement between the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) and the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA).

As part of the agreement – which includes federal government drug plans and all of Canada's provinces and territories except Quebec – the prices of nearly 70 of the most commonly prescribed drugs in Canada were reduced by 25 to 40 percent effective April 1, 2018, resulting in overall discounts of up to 90 percent off the price of their brand-name equivalents. 

"Canada's generic pharmaceutical industry continues to make an essential contribution to affordable patient care in Canada," said Jim Keon, President of the CGPA. "We are, however, growing concerned about the impact of years of price cuts on the sustainability of domestic manufacturing capacity, and the ongoing continuity of Canada's supply of prescription medicines." 

Data released by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) shows that, since 2007, the average price of generic prescription medicines in Canada has fallen by nearly 60 percent, with prices of some of the top-selling generics dropping by an average of 80 percent. 

These massive price cuts have resulted in new cost structures for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, which has led to more of Canada's drug supply coming from lower-cost jurisdictions such as China and India.

"COVID-19 has been a wakeup call for governments, healthcare professionals and the public about Canada's increasing reliance on imports," Keon said. "Moving forward there must be a recognition that sustainable pricing levels are needed to maintain the continuity of supply for Canadians."

With nearly three quarters of all prescriptions in Canada being filled with generic prescription medicines, Canada's supply of prescription medicines rests largely with the generic pharmaceutical industry. 

"Canadians have continued to have access to both their regular day-to-day medicines and the products needed to treat patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic as a result of the tireless efforts of generic pharmaceutical companies," said Keon. "The pandemic has also exposed several areas where improvements can be made to help secure a sustainable supply of prescription medicines for Canadians."

In June 2020, CGPA released its Blueprint for a Sustainable Supply of Prescription Medicines for Canadians that identifies measures to strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical industry and Canada's place in the international supply chain to ensure Canadians have a secure and consistent supply of prescription medicines.

About the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association
The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association (CGPA) represents Canada's generic pharmaceutical industry. The industry plays an important role in controlling health-care costs in Canada. Generic drugs are dispensed to fill 73 percent of all prescriptions but account for account for less than 20 percent of the $32-billion Canadians spend annually on prescription medicines.

SOURCE Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association

Gripping Account of Suicide Attempt and Recovery Aims to Break the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health

New York NY, October 5, 2020 — Mark Henick is one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health. His powerful TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is among the most watched in the world and shares his unforgettable account of standing on an overpass and letting go. He is one of the lucky few to plunge into the seemingly unforgiving darkness and somehow awaken to the hopeful light of day.  

He shares his vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery in So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, in which he vividly recounts his heart-pounding moments on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass. 

Henick’s near-death experience that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.

So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount. 

So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.

“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.

Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.

To watch Henick’s powerful TEDx talk, please visit https://youtu.be/D1QoyTmeAYw. For more information, please visit www.markhenick.com or connect with the author on the following social media sites: www.facebook.com/markhenick/; https://twitter.com/markhenick; and www.youtube.com/markhenick.

So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: January 12, 2021

ISBN-10: 1443455032 

ISBN-13: 978-1443455039

Available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Audible and others