Say it ain't so

So apparently there are "better drugs on the market":

B.Y.O.B., New Brunswick hospital tells patients
From the CBC

One of the few remaining hospitals in New Brunswick to prescribe liquor and beer is telling patients they'll soon have to buy their own alcohol.

The long-standing practice of prescribing alcohol for medicinal purposes – such as giving beer to breastfeeding women, to help people sleep or to increase appetites – still exists in three New Brunswick hospitals. Dr. Edouard Hendriks, head of Edmundston's health authority. Hospital pharmacies in Saint John, Bathurst and Edmundston keep alcohol on hand for for prescription-only, therapeutic purposes. But as of Jan. 1, the hospital in Edmundston will no longer keep a booze supply. The head of Edmundston's health authority, Dr. Edouard Hendriks, says times have changed. "The main reason is because in the past few years, research on medical use of alcohol has diminished, and actually, we have so many other medications on the market that work, that are much safer and can still meet the patients' needs," said Hendriks.

However, the change doesn't mean an alcohol-free hospital. Patients can still have their families bring in liquor or beer, if it's prescribed. "It's up to the family to bring it, providing the doctor has determined it is to treat a medical condition," said Hendriks. "So if the doctor prescribes, for example, an ounce of something to fall asleep, it will be controlled by the medical professionals at the hospital to ensure the patient receives it in a safe and timely way."

Alcohol use criticized:

Medical beer under lock. The medicinal use of liquor or beer has its critics. Dr. Raju Hajela, a past president of the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine, says the use of alcohol is far too common when there are better drugs on the market. While alcohol may be used under strictly monitored conditions in the hospital, he says, the patient may not be able to control how much they use once they get home. The patient may think 'If one beer is good, two beers are great,' he said. It could also be a problem for nurses, who have to enforce the alcohol cutoff for patients, said Hajela.




In other news, my birthday was fantastic, and proved that Mark is definitely deserving of the boyfriend of the year award! Alos, I now own skis, so if anyone feels like going skiing, I'm in!