As a person with arthritis have Occupational Therapy and/or Physical Therapy been prescribed as part of your treatment plan? Has it helped? How can your experience be improved? Have you encountered any obstacles to obtaining these services?

With governments feeling the pain of an economic recession it seems to be accepted political practice in many Canadian jurisdictions to invest in certain "shovel-ready" types of physical infrastructure --- like highways and bridges--- by way of deficit financing, but at the same time, there appears to be a general reluctance to accrue deficits for certain forms of social infrastructure --- like education and medical care. Does this make sense to you? Is there a rational basis for favouring one sort of infrastructure investment over another? What priorities do you feel are most worthy or broadly beneficial for governments to address when they are accruing public debt?

Over the past few years many studies have reported on the therapeutic value of chocolate to help avoid heart disease; coffee to prevent gout in men; and red wine consumption as a means of preventing gum disease, stopping inflammation, and recently we've heard it helps ward off disabilities in our senior years. We've also been told it doesn't mix well with medications. What should we do? How do you mange the conflicting information?

Alberta and BC pharmacists have been given the authority by government to prescribe medications. What impact will this have on people with chronic diseases who use medication on a daily or weekly basis to control their disease? Will it mean less visits to the family doctor for prescription renewals?

Does the pharmacist have the discretionary authority to substitute a generic drug for a patented drug?

Is patient safety an issue?