Canadian Family Physician

1 week ago | cfp.ca | Nicholas Pimlott |Vivian R. Ramsden |Steve Slade

This special research-themed issue of Canadian Family Physician (CFP) focuses on the crisis in family medicine and primary health care in Canada. It is rooted in conversations between the guest editors of this special issue, Drs Alan Katz and Vivian R. Ramsden, College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) Research Director Steve Slade, and CFP Editor Dr Nicholas Pimlott. Discussion began at the CFPC’s Family Medicine Forum over 4 years ago and has been ongoing ever since.

1 month ago | cfp.ca | Nicholas Pimlott

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Vernon Sanders Law, who played 16 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950-1951 and 1954-1967), once said: “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.”1 This is arguably the first theme of the May 2025 issue of Canadian Family Physician, which features several contributions by early-career family physicians.2,3 Learning by doing In “What risk of death is acceptable?” (page 299)2 Dr Danny Liang, a Vancouver family...

1 month ago | cfp.ca | Michael Allan

As family doctors, we’re in the business of caring for others and trying to help solve their problems. However, in the political world, there are so many competing priorities it becomes challenging to know which problems to address and how. The good news is the challenges in primary care have become relevant to everyone. The CFPC’s responsibility is to help all Canadians, from politicians to the public, recognize this is a problem for all of us, identify challenges, and present specific solutions.

2 months ago | cfp.ca | Nicholas Pimlott

The German-born American physician and writer Martin Fisher, famous in his day for his aphorisms, is credited with saying half of the modern drugs could well be thrown out of the window, except that the birds might eat them. It sounds like he was an environmentalist physician well ahead of his time. It is surprising how little we physicians sometimes know about the medications we prescribe, even those prescribed routinely.

2 months ago | cfp.ca | Michael Allan

The founders of the CFPC and the profession of family medicine in Canada were optimists, believers, and aspirational. The organization’s first purpose from incorporation in 1968 was to promote the highest quality of medical care for the people of Canada.1 Family medicine is the best of Canadian health care. But the profession—and its professional home—are at risk.