issue 13// vol 46 What's going down at Douglas? » Your guide for weekly college events Jessica Berget Editor-in-Chief We it’s the final week of the fall semester. We here at the Other Press know how much students will all miss the roaming halls and classrooms of Douglas College, so to ease the transition into holiday break mode, here are some events happening on campus this week. November 27 Live music fans—your cup runneth over this week. As a part of the fall concert series, the Douglas College music department will be hosting free live music open to the public and will be available the New Westminster campus from November 26 to 29. This Wednesday from 7:30 to ey 8:30 pm, the Douglas College concert band along with Percussion ensemble and special guests presents “Winds and Percussion in Concert.” November 28 Continuing with the free live music as part of the fall concert series, the Music Technology Fusion Band (with special guests) presents FusionFest. This event will be held this Thursday from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the performing arts theatre at the Douglas College New Westminster campus. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. Those are the five D’s of dodgeball (and DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story) and an important reminder for the dodgeball intramurals held by the Douglas College Coquitlam campus. Intramurals will No re-up?!? » Health Canada experiencing a drug shortage Atiba Nelson Staff Reporter ast week, Health Canada alerted Canadians to a complicated national healthcare system problem: drug shortages. Currently, Health Canada reports that Canada is facing a shortage of approximately 2,000 types of drugs. The list of drugs include a myriad of pharmaceuticals, with most of the media coverage focused on a breast cancer drug— for certain types of breast cancer—called Tamoxifen. However, many common drugs used to anesthetize wounds (lidocaine), lower high blood pressure (hydralazine), and control blood sugar levels (glyburide) have also made the list. Health Canada has set up a number of venues to communicate drug shortages to the public, including a website—www. drugshortagescanada.ca—in partnership with Bell Canada to provide real-time updates on shortages (or anticipated shortages) of drugs available to Canadians, as well as if the drug shortage has been resolved. Although Health Canada communicates drug shortages, the governmental department responsible for national public health has little control of whether Canada has a sufficient supply of pharmaceutical for the nation. Canada’s drug supply chain is streamlined into four stages: drug approvals, manufacturing, procurement slash distribution, and front-line delivery. CC be held at Pinetree Community Centre (located next to the Coquitlam campus) in gym three from 4:30 to 6 pm. To participate, students must submit a form beforehand on the school website under drop-in recreation/intramurals. Students will need to sign in using the Douglas College DS app and are advised to bring gym clothing and a water bottle. Laugh off your final grades with the DSU comedy club! “Contagious,” a stand- up comedy showcase, will be hosted at the New Westminster campus in room N2201. Local Vancouver comedian Robert Peng will be featured as a special guest. According to his official website, Peng is “An unemployed engineer who turned to comedy out of desperation. Having been denied a destiny of having a lot of money, According to Health Canada, shortages can happen at any part of the supply chain, but mostly occur in the manufacturing stage. During the manufacturing process, raw materials or active ingredients essential to the creation of the drug may be in short supply, equipment used to manufacture a According to Health Canada, shortages can happen at any part of the supply chain, but mostly occur in the manufacturing stage. news // no. 5 Photo by Michelle Lim and the destiny of getting laid before he is 26 (he is 25 now), Robert brings the to stage the energy that only an entitled millennial virgin can provide.” Doors to this event will open at 7:30 pm and will start at 8 pm. Stand-up routines and comedic performances by students will also be presented. November 29 There is never a dull moment this week with the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre. This Friday, Douglas College composition students will present their new music creations at the Composition concert starting at 7:30 pm. This is your last chance to enjoy free live music as it is the last day of the fall concert series at Douglas. drug may be broken or outdated, and or the manufactures may poorly forecast their production, all of which may lead to drug storages in Canada and worldwide. To address the issue of drug shortages within Canada, Health Canada has suggested moving away from a sole source model—where the government buys a particular drug from only one vendor, although multiple vendors produce the drug—and requesting that suppliers create an inventory of drugs products known to be at high-risk for storages. “The health and safety of Canadians is our top priority, and we recognize the significant impact that this shortage has on patients,” said Anna Maddison, a spokesperson for Health Canada, regarding to the shortage. Health Canada has taken a number of steps to mitigate the effects that drug shortages will have on Canadians. One strategy has been to convene a task force with concerned stakeholders about what can be done to eliminate shortages. Some healthcare providers are limiting sales and advising patients to cut their pills in half so that current prescriptions last longer.