According to a recently released report comparing international usage of prescription drugs, Canada ranks second-last (thirteenth out of 14 countries).

Canada Slow to Adopt Innovative Medicines

The report – Extent and Causes of International Variations in Drug Usage – was conducted for the UK Secretary of State for Health to determine whether the UK is adequately providing for the health needs of its citizens. The report noted that "Medicines play an important role in the management of most diseases. In recent years, there have been important changes in the drugs that are used to treat many conditions.

This has helped to make many conditions more treatable, thus improving patient outcomes." "... ensuring that are used appropriately has an important part to play in delivering high-quality, fair, safe and effective NHS services."

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CAPA urges you to become active in reminding politicians at all level that a good health care system is essential.

Your experiences as a father with arthritis may help inform future health care services. We want to hear from men who will complete a survey and tell us what they think about it. We seek men who:

• have inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoratic arthritis, juvenile arthritis or lupus),
• are fathers with at least one child under 21 years living at home (shared custody of children living with you part time is ok)
• live in Canada

Dr. Catherine Backman, a researcher at the Arthritis Research Centre and the University of British Columbia, is conducting a study on the Impact of Arthritis on Fathers. The first step is to see if the survey is easy to complete and results in useful information. Survey questions ask about parenting, arthritis symptoms, health, support from other people, and family characteristics.

Participation involves completion of a survey (by mail or on line) that takes up to 1 hour to complete.

To volunteer, or for more information, please phone us at 604-871-4564 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or the project’s summer research student Alana at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

To view the full Research Protocal, refer to the attached document:

Research_Protocol_outline-emailed.doc

On July 19, 2010 the Public Health Agency of Canada issued an update on the first Arthritis in Canada publication. Although progress is being made on interventions to reduce the impact of arthritis on Canadians, arthritis remains common, costly, and disabling. More than 4.2 million Canadians live with one or more of the 100 conditions that comprise arthritis. It is one of the leading causes of pain and physical disability in Canada and a major public health challenge. Arthritis may affect one’s daily activities, choice of career, social participation, relationships and family life, and economic status.

Life with Arthritis in Canada: A personal and public health challenge is designed to increase public awareness that arthritis is not simply a normal part of aging and the importance of prevention and timely management. Read and download the report at:

Life With Arthritis in Canada: A Personal and Public Health Challenge

This report, Life with Arthritis in Canada: A personal and public challenge is the second national surveillance report on arthritis. Using the most recent data sources available, it provides an overview of arthritis in the Canadian population and its wide-ranging impact. It also suggests approaches for reducing the risk of developing some types of arthritis (osteoarthritis and gout) in addition to minimizing disability and improving the quality of life of those living with any type of arthritis.

In 2007-2008, over 4.2 million Canadians (16%) aged 15 years and older reported that they had arthritis. With the aging population, this number is expected to increase to approximately 7 million (20%) in 2031. Arthritis was the second and third most common chronic condition reported by women and men, respectively. Overall, nearly two-thirds (64%) of those affected with arthritis were women. Nearly three in five people with arthritis were aged under 65 years.

Arthritis can have a major impact on individuals and families, with many individuals reporting fair or poor general and mental health, needing help with daily activities in addition to limitations in work, community, social and civic life. On average, over a quarter of men and women with arthritis between 25 and 44 years of age were not in the labour force because of their arthritis.