On January 31, 2023, the government of British Columbia implemented a temporary, three-year drug decriminalization policy. Under the policy, adults (18 and older) could possess up to a combined 2.5 grams of specified illegal drugs—including opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA—for personal use without criminal charges, prosecution, or confiscation. The policy was intended to reduce the health and social harms of illicit substance use. A new study in CMAJ evaluated changes in drug-relat...

On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham explore new evidence suggesting that rates of psychotic disorders are increasing in younger generations in Canada. Drawing on population-level data and broader psychiatric research, the episode examines how generational trends in psychosis intersect with substance use, social change, and the ongoing youth mental health crisis. Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician and public health researcher at North York General Hospi...

Despite a range of effective prevention tools, HIV incidence continues to rise in Canada, with stark disparities across ethnicity, gender, Indigeneity and geography. Updated Canadian guidelines on HIV pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis reflect scientific advances since 2017 and address both new formulations and persistent barriers to equitable access. Dr. Darrell Tan, lead author and clinician scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, outlines several prophylaxis options now available. Daily oral ...

Emergency departments across Canada are seeing record patient volumes, bed shortages and overcrowding. A new longitudinal study in CMAJ, "Emergency physician burnout and attrition in Canada: a longitudinal study," finds physician burnout now above pandemic-era levels and driving reduced hours and departures from the specialty. Dr. Kerstin de Wit, the study's lead author, an emergency physician and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair at Queen's University, reports that 65% of respondents to the Janua...

Lecanemab arrived in Canada in January 2026 as an anti-amyloid therapy meant to slow Alzheimer disease. A new practice article in CMAJ, "Lecanemab use for early Alzheimer disease in Canada," lays out key challenges with the drug including narrow eligibility, a modest effect that may not be clinically meaningful, and a resource-intensive path to treatment. Dr. Sophie Weiss, a co-author of the article and a third-year internal medicine resident at the University of Toronto, walks through eligib...

A contrast allergy note on the chart can trigger delays, unnecessary steroids and avoided scans, yet often these labels are not clinically justified. A new practice article in CMAJ, “Hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast media,” examines how the labels arise and why the standard premedication rests on contrast agents that are no longer used. Dr. Samira Jeimy, an associate professor and program director of the division of clinical immunology and allergy at Western University and an ...

It’s been nearly two decades since the last Canadian clinical practice guideline on managing obesity in children. In that time, the science has advanced, treatment options have expanded, and the need for updated guidance has grown increasingly urgent. On this episode of the CMAJ Podcast, hosts Dr. Mojola Omole and Dr. Blair Bigham speak with three guests who contributed to or were impacted by the new guideline published in CMAJ. Together, they explore how the recommendations address the compl...

Urinary incontinence affects about a third of adult women in Canada, yet many never receive a diagnosis or treatment. On this episode, Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole discuss the CMAJ review “Diagnosis and management of urinary incontinence in females,” which outlines how physicians can identify common forms of incontinence and begin management in primary care. The episode opens with Sharon Roman, who shares her experience living with bladder dysfunction related to multiple sclerosis. H...

Near-death experiences (NDE) are often described in spiritual, personal or even supernatural terms. But a new CMAJ article offers physicians a clinical entry point into understanding them as a distinct phenomenon that patients may report after cardiac arrest, critical illness or other life-threatening events. Dr. Blair Bigham and Dr. Mojola Omole speak with Dr. Andrés Delgado-Ron, a senior data analyst at Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and author of “Five things to know ...

Two articles in CMAJ look at endometriosis from sharply different angles. One shows how devastating delayed recognition can be, following a patient whose deep infiltrating endometriosis led to renal atrophy, bowel obstruction, sciatic nerve impingement and a permanent ostomy. The other offers a more reassuring picture, finding only a small increased risk of congenital anomalies among infants born to patients with endometriosis. Together, they show why endometriosis deserves earlier recognitio...