Short briefs on what is changing in healthcare in Alberta and across Canada, collected from official bodies and news outlets, each linked to its original source.
Health organizations using AI to accelerate digital tool development must still complete standard privacy, security, and procurement reviews. While AI can speed up coding, it does not automate the necessary governance documentation. Custodians remain accountable for personal health information regardless of the development method used.
Before adopting AI-built tools, confirm with vendors that they use enterprise agreements with zero data retention and only synthetic data in development environments.
The College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta Council recently updated bylaws regarding decision-making and committee practices. The Council also granted full approval to the HCA program at Red Deer Polytechnic and conditional approval to HCA programs at Training Inc., Northern Lights College, and Red Deer Polytechnic's satellite campus.
You can sign up for email updates from the College to stay informed on regulation, policy, and registration changes.
The Alberta government is providing $5 million to Bow Valley College to develop a proposal for a new Health Care Centre of Excellence. This funding will support project design and cost estimation to potentially expand training programs for nurses, pharmacy technicians, health care aides, and therapy assistants.
QuidelOrtho has identified an issue where certain generations of Vitros chemistry products A1c slides may produce positively biased results. The manufacturer has received 58 complaints regarding this performance issue as of October 15, 2026. No adverse events have been reported to date.
If you use these slides in your lab, contact the manufacturer for further guidance on managing potential result inaccuracies.
Philips identified a safety issue where power supply units in certain Azurion systems may fail during startup or restart. Energy surges can cause these components to malfunction, preventing the system from completing its boot process. This failure renders the imaging equipment unavailable for clinical use.
If you operate this equipment, contact the manufacturer for further guidance on managing potential startup failures.
The manufacturer identified a software issue affecting all RotaFlow consoles on the market. This fault can prevent the device from charging its battery after the unit has operated in battery mode. Users should contact the manufacturer for further information regarding this device defect.
If you use RotaFlow consoles in your clinical practice, contact the manufacturer to determine how this charging issue affects your equipment's reliability.
Boston Scientific issued an advisory for the OptiCross family of intravascular ultrasound imaging catheters. The manufacturer is updating flushing instructions and reinforcing device preparation and air-management practices. Users should consult the updated Instructions for Use for the specific products listed in the company's customer letter.
If you use these catheters, review the updated flushing and air-management protocols to ensure proper device preparation before use.
AbbVie reports its Combigan (timolol / brimonidine tartrate) 0.5% / 0.2% ophthalmic solution is in an actual shortage after a disruption in manufacturing. The actual shortage began Sep 9, 2026 and is estimated to end Dec 11, 2026.
Combigan is a widely used glaucoma eye drop — patients and pharmacies should check stock and alternatives while the shortage runs.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Canada reports its GLN-Olmesartan (olmesartan medoxomil) 40 mg tablet is in an actual shortage that began Oct 29, 2026, driven by an increase in demand. The shortage is estimated to end Nov 27, 2026.
Olmesartan is a widely prescribed blood pressure drug — pharmacies should check stock and alternatives while the shortage runs.
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Canada reports its GLN-Olmesartan HCTZ (olmesartan medoxomil / hydrochlorothiazide) 20 mg / 12.5 mg tablet is in an actual shortage that began Oct 29, 2026, driven by an increase in demand. The shortage is estimated to end Nov 27, 2026.
Olmesartan/HCTZ is a widely prescribed blood pressure combination — pharmacies should check stock and alternatives while the shortage runs.
Auditor General Karen Hogan found benefit payments under the Canadian Dental Care Plan ran $1.1 billion over initial budget commitments across 2024-25 and 2025-26, driven by higher-than-expected claim payments per member. As of March 31, 2026, 6.9 million of 10.5 million eligible Canadians had registered and 4.2 million had submitted claims, with average out-of-pocket spending of $264. A newer forecast cut the projected shortfall to 2032 from $2.4 billion to $1.2 billion. Health Minister Marjorie Michel acknowledged a funding shortfall and said the program is under review.
Dental coverage costs and eligibility shape access to oral care for low- and middle-income Canadians, and any change to funded services or eligibility could affect patients frontline workers see every day.
Pfizer Canada reports its Premarin (conjugated estrogens) 0.625 mg vaginal cream is in an actual shortage after a disruption in manufacturing. The actual shortage began Jun 30, 2026 and no estimated end date is given.
Premarin cream is widely used for menopause-related vaginal symptoms — patients and pharmacies should check stock and alternatives while the shortage runs.
Bayer reports its Climara 50 (estradiol) 50 mcg transdermal patch is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after an increase in demand. The actual shortage began Sep 18, 2026 and is estimated to end Dec 15, 2026.
Estradiol patches are a mainstay of menopause hormone therapy — a Tier 3 shortage means patients and pharmacies need alternatives or allocation plans now.
Sandoz Canada reports its Estradot (estradiol) 25 mcg transdermal patch is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after a disruption in manufacturing. The actual shortage began Oct 13, 2026 and is estimated to end Oct 30, 2026.
Estradiol patches are a mainstay of menopause hormone therapy — a Tier 3 shortage means patients and pharmacies need alternatives now.
Sandoz Canada reports its Estradot (estradiol) 37.5 mcg transdermal patch is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after a disruption in manufacturing. The actual shortage began Oct 13, 2026 and is estimated to end Oct 30, 2026.
Estradiol patches are a mainstay of menopause hormone therapy — a Tier 3 shortage means patients and pharmacies need alternatives now.
Sandoz Canada reports its Estradot (estradiol) 75 mcg transdermal patch is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after a disruption in manufacturing. The actual shortage began Oct 13, 2026 and is estimated to end Dec 18, 2026.
Estradiol patches are a mainstay of menopause hormone therapy — a Tier 3 shortage means patients and pharmacies need alternatives now.
Sandoz Canada reports its Estalis (estradiol / norethindrone acetate) 250/50 mcg transdermal patch faces an anticipated Tier 3 shortage from Jan 15, 2027, driven by an increase in demand. The shortage is estimated to end Feb 28, 2027.
Estalis is a combined hormone therapy patch — prescribers and pharmacies should plan supply well ahead of the January start.
More Canadian provinces are ending seasonal time changes, with Manitoba stopping the clock switch this weekend. Sleep scientists say ending the twice-yearly switch is good for health, but warn that staying on daylight time permanently misaligns with the body's natural clock.
The end of clock changes affects sleep and health for frontline workers on shift schedules — worth knowing which time Manitoba stays on.
The College of Licensed Health Professionals of Alberta clarifies that LPNs can perform death pronouncements by assessing for signs of life. Practitioners must follow employer policies, notify the most responsible health practitioner, and document findings. LPNs remain unable to certify the cause or manner of death on official certificates.
If you are an LPN, you can perform death pronouncements provided you follow your employer's specific requirements and document the assessment in the patient record.
Calgary-based NanoTess's NanoSALV Catalytic, a catalyst suspended in a lightweight, non-flammable gel applied directly to wounds, has treated 6,000 wounded soldiers and civilians since reaching Ukraine's front lines in June. The gel uses nanomaterials to support the body's natural healing and fight infection-causing microbes, can be flown in by drone, and can be applied by people with limited medical training. It won Health Canada approval in 2022 after initial National Defence funding, and its Ukraine results were presented at the CAN Health Network conference in Toronto.
A Canadian-made treatment that lets wounds heal with little nursing input — one nurse may care for up to 90 patients — could ease mass-casualty and short-staffed care; it was already used for burn injuries from the CFB Wainwright wildfire earlier this month.
Hoffmann-La Roche reports its Activase rt-PA (alteplase) 100 mg powder for solution is to be discontinued on Jan 31, 2027, for business reasons. Roche says the decision is voluntary and not due to quality, safety or efficacy issues, and remaining supply is listed to Nov 30, 2027.
Alteplase is the clot-busting drug used for stroke and heart attack care — hospitals should plan the switch to alternative treatments.
Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre / Alberta Health Services reports its Stannous MDP Kit (technetium Tc-99m medronate injection) 15 mg is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after a shortage of tin chloride, a critical component of the cold kit. The actual shortage began Jul 23, 2026 and is estimated to end Dec 31, 2026.
The MDP kit is used for bone scans — a Tier 3 shortage can delay nuclear medicine imaging for patients.
Calgary Radiopharmaceutical Centre / Alberta Health Services reports its Stannous PYP Kit (technetium Tc-99m pyrophosphate injection) 20 mg is in a Tier 3 critical shortage after a shortage of tin chloride, a critical component of the cold kit. The actual shortage began Jul 23, 2026 and is estimated to end Nov 5, 2026.
The PYP kit is used in nuclear medicine imaging — a Tier 3 shortage can delay scans for patients.
Janssen reports its Invega (paliperidone) 6 mg extended-release tablet faces an anticipated shortage from Jul 25, 2027, after a disruption in manufacturing. The shortage is estimated to end Nov 1, 2027.
Paliperidone is an antipsychotic used for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder — prescribers should plan supply well ahead of the July 2027 start.
Janssen reports its Invega (paliperidone) 9 mg extended-release tablet faces an anticipated shortage from Jan 4, 2027, after a disruption in manufacturing. The shortage is estimated to end Nov 1, 2027.
Paliperidone is an antipsychotic used for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder — prescribers should plan supply ahead of the January start.
A software defect in syngo.via MR Cardiac Analysis affects the evaluation of 2D cardiac flow data. The algorithm fails to include the final cardiac phase in calculations, leading to systematic underestimation of flow quantification parameters like forward volume. This issue specifically impacts beat sensor-triggered data where flow peaks occur during the final cardiac phases.
If you use these imaging systems, be aware that cardiac flow measurements may be underestimated and require manual verification of data.
Siemens has released service pack NX VA60A-SP04 for Magnetom MRI scanners. This update addresses image loading errors, improves system stability, and adjusts coil specifications for breast and body imaging. It also implements new data access requirements and ensures compliance with safety standards for table movement.
If you work with Magnetom MRI systems, check with your technical team to ensure this update is installed for improved system performance and safety.
BioMérieux identified a product issue with lot 0727226 of the BIOFIRE BCID2 Panel kit. Unintended movement of pouch chemistry in this specific lot may cause false negative results across all analytes on the panel. No other product lots are affected by this safety notice.
If your lab uses this specific lot, contact the manufacturer for guidance on managing potential false negative results.
Teva Canada reports its Treanda (bendamustine hydrochloride) 100 mg powder for solution is to be discontinued on Feb 28, 2027, for business reasons. Remaining supply is listed to Feb 28, 2027.
Bendamustine is a chemotherapy drug — oncology teams should plan supply and alternatives ahead of the February date.
