Brain Drain of Physicians

Susan Sharma: This is insidermedicine in 60. From Ottawa, the brain drain of physicians leaving Canada in favor of the US is now officially reversed. Well, the net of physicians leaving Canada for the US was 4000 over the 15 year period ending in 2004 the past two years you have seen movement in the other way. A recent study shows that 11% of those who left now considering coming back. From California, the biotech giant Genentech has said it will limit the sale of Avastin to compounding pharmacies. Avastin approved for colorectal cancer is used by eye surgeons to treat macular degeneration at a cost of under 100 dollars per injection setting FDA safety concerns of the off label use of Avastin, Genentech is actively marketing its new drug Lucentis which has been in development for 7 years and is now approved for macular degeneration. Lucentis cost 2000 dollars per injection.

Also from California new research shows that many commonly used lipsticks contain lead nearly 40% had levels above that regarded as unsafe for children's candy, one of the only standards for lead levels. Lead has been linked to learning disabilities, delays in language development and poor school performance. And finally from Australia, those who are obese are six times more likely to develop cancer of oesophagus and those who reflux are 5 times more likely to develop the cancer having both reflux and being obese raises the risk by a factor of 16. For insidermedicine in 60, I'm Doctor Susan Sharma.



Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services