CAND Journal

Aftershocks

2024-11-20T16:23:34-08:00

British Columbia’s Changing Regulatory Landscape—Challenges and Opportunities

2024-08-22T11:27:34-07:00

Taking Action on Planetary Health: A Call to Action for Naturopathic Doctors

2024-08-29T09:15:11-07:00

The World Health Organization has called climate change one of the biggest health threats of the 21st century. Climate desta- bilization has myriad direct and indirect physical and mental health impacts, including extreme heat–related illness; flood- and wildfire-related deaths, displacement, and evacuations; droughts; wildfire-related asthma, COPD, and cardiovascular disease; tick-borne disease; seasonal allergies; anxiety, depression, increased food insecurity, and conflict. Climate destruction poses higher risks for Indigenous people, people who are racially marginaized, people living in poverty, people living with disabilities, the elderly, people experiencing homelessness, and people who work outdoors. The climate crisis is a health crisis, resulting in a tremendous burden on healthcare providers and systems, driving the need to adapt to these changing determinants of health.

Establishing a Unified Framework for Natural Health Product Quality: Insights from North American Naturopathic Practitioners

2024-06-11T09:08:01-07:00

Background: Healthcare professionals have the responsibility to educate their patients on natural health products (NHPs), yet the assessment of NHP quality throughout North America remains relatively subjective and prone to biases. This study aims to qualify multi-ingredient NHPs, based on the subjective and empirical attributes sought by naturopathic doctors (NDs) who regularly prescribe them.

Methods: This study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 involved virtual interviews with eight experienced NDs across North America. Phase 2 was an online survey of licensed and practicing NDs based on the key themes extracted from Phase 1.

Results: Using an inductive approach to qualitative analysis in Phase 1, four key themes were extracted: sourcing, labelling, monographs, and third-party testing, with each one having several sub-themes. Phase 2 revealed that sourcing was the most important theme, specifically from manufacturing companies that adhere to good manufacturing practices (GMPs), followed by products on which labels provide specific details of the active compounds. Third-party testing ranked third, especially if used to verify that ingredients match the label, and monographs should include referenced evidence on the therapeutic efficacy specific to the recommended dose of the product.

Conclusion: NDs believe that the strongest measure of complex NHP quality is the manufacturing company’s ability to adhere to GMPs. Third-party testing could be used to verify standards of quality with product details included in labels and ample referenced evidence in monographs."