by Frederick Cheng, R.Ph., and Christine Cheng, R.Ph.
Fake news is troublesome in every discipline, but when it comes to medical misinformation, the consequences can be deadly. Some people take comfort in reading fake news because it resonates with their moral narrative or a longtime sentiment. Others are simply mislead. With the help of social media, false information can quickly spread like wild fire, and people are sent down unnerving rabbit holes in the blink of an eye.
Question: With the rapid unraveling of health and scientific puzzles every minute, how can someone stay on top of all the latest discoveries and valid treatment regimes? Who can we trust? Is there a trusted source of health information on the internet?
Answer: There is absolutely no replacement for a registered licensed physician or a registered licensed pharmacist when it comes to reliable information regarding your health. In Canada, a doctor is required to complete a minimum of 7 years of university education before they are eligible to write the licensing exam, and receiving further schooling to become specialists. A pharmacist completes a minimum of 5 years of university to be eligible for the national licensing exam (through the Pharmacy Examination Board of Canada), before moving on to further specialties. These professionals are regulated by a strict ethical code and continuing education framework, and must practice within legal boundaries. As practicing, licensed pharmacists, we can tell you that it is beyond frustrating when encountering a client who has been clouded by the vast amount of false knowledge they have accumulated through the internet and hearsay. We spend countless hours each week attempting to dispel such myths and steer my clients in the right direction with the hopes that they will see the truth and make the appropriate choices for their health.
There are times, however, when you may want some preliminary information or are looking for a springboard for further research into a disease or health condition. This is where www.imdhealth.com comes in. IMD Health is Canada’s most comprehensive, trustworthy database of information gathered from over 60 valid sources such as the Mayo Clinic, and official medication monographs. It is 100% up-to-date and accurate, and is available to both practitioners and patients alike. It offers great suggestions on conditions ranging from depression, to hypertension, to concussions, and everything in between. We would trust IMD Health much before we would even consider asking “Dr. Google” a question.
Christine and Fred Cheng are a passionate, charismatic sister-brother pharmacist team at their unique, family-operated Pharmasave stores in Cloverdale and Steveston, B.C. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use. Find them on Instagram and Facebook! Everything mentioned in their article is available InStore.
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