To some, Ozempic and drugs like it are a weight loss silver bullet. But to others, they’re hyped medications with severe side effects. Dr. Daniel Drucker is a Canadian physician-scientist whose research helped pave the way for Ozempic. He wants more research, especially as ever more effective weight loss drugs are developed. But with the potential to also reduce major cardiovascular events, he’s hopeful we’re in a new era of medical therapy to treat obesity.

Ozempic: The good, the bad and the future

Trusted ER doctor Brian Goldman brings you honest and surprising stories that can change your health and your life. Expect deep conversations with patients, families and colleagues that show you what is and isn't working in Canadian healthcare. Guaranteed you’ll learn something new. Episodes drop every Friday.

Science

Attracting a family doctor to work in a community is challenging, with fewer physicians choosing family medicine. That's why Cheryl Gnyp, the recruiter for Castlegar, B.C., needs to stand out. She uses the board game Operation and specialized coffee as part of her 10-minute sales pitch to potential recruits at conferences. It can take years before a doctor actually starts working in the community, but she’s in it for the long haul.

The Family Doctor Recruiting Game

The climate is changing. So are we. On What On Earth, you’ll explore a world of solutions with host Laura Lynch and our team of journalists. In 1970, 20 million people showed up to fight for the environment on the first Earth Day. More than five decades later, is it time for this much tamer global event to return to its radical roots?  
 OG organizer Denis Hayes recounts how – amidst other counterculture movements at the time – his team persuaded roughly one in ten Americans to take to the streets. As he approaches 80, Denis offers his singular piece of advice to the next generation of climate leaders. Then, environmental warriors Maria Blancas and Axcelle Campana share ideas on what a reinspired Earth Day could look like – including making it a public holiday.  
 More episodes of What On Earth are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/L2RFol4W  
 We love to hear from our listeners and regularly feature them on the show. Have a question or idea? Email Earth@cbc.ca 
 And if you’d like to learn more about the very special guest Dr. Goldman mentioned, please check out this classic episode of White Coat, Black Art. 

BONUS: Can Earth Day be badass again? (via What On Earth)

Amie Archibald-Varley and Sara Fung are registered nurses who advocate for better healthcare on The Gritty Nurse podcast. Now they’ve published a book called The Wisdom of Nurses: Stories of Grit from the Front Lines. They join host Dr. Brian Goldman for a chat about why nurses make incredible leaders, and how healthcare can improve when we listen to nurses.

The wisdom of the Gritty Nurses

Newfoundland and Labrador leaders are ramping up virtual care for the thousands of residents without a family doctor. They’ve turned to private company Teladoc Health Canada to not only have doctors see patients virtually but also fill in on remote and rural ERs, for the next two years. But medical associations say it comes at the expense of recruiting and retaining healthcare workers long-term, and patients aren’t getting the care they need. 

Newfoundland and Labrador goes all in on virtual caren

A restaurant in Muskoka, Ontario is doing its best to respond if necessary, after the slate of poisonings with a more dangerous form of fentanyl in Belleville. A manager and employee have taken training to accompany their new naloxone kit. But the deputy chief paramedic says the best hope to save people may be to teach bystanders to do CPR and rescue breathing and not flee the scene.

Ozempic: The good, the bad and the future

Download our free app to listen on your phone