Demand for Canadian prescription drugs is high, so what about supply. David McKay, head of Canadian International Pharmacy Association, will meet with U.S. governors at their upcoming summit on drug importation to ask for their help with large pharmaceutical companies. The pharma giants have begun restricting supply to Canadian pharmacies in an effort to quell flow south. For pharma giants, as drugs flow south, so do their profits.

Canadian pharmacies have made a commitment to take care of Canadians first but there is a loud cry for their services across border. Some critics accuse that it's all about money, and that Canadian online pharmacies are making a mint selling drugs to American citizens.

It was that same argument that Canadian Medical Association (CMA) used when deciding to go after doctors who are "chain-signing" prescriptions. When a prescription from an U.S. doctor comes to a pharmacy in Canada, Canadian doctor reviews patient's medical questionnaire along with prescription received, and then writes out a new prescription for drugs to be dispensed, according to Canadian law. The CMA says doctors should not sign prescriptions if patient has not been seen in a personal exam.

This type of professional peer pressure is doctors lobby at stopping, or significantly slowing process they feel hurts profession. So far 1 Manitoba doctor has been fined $10,000 for signing more than 9,000 prescriptions and 3 others accused of professional misconduct by College of Physicians and surgeons.

With recent Medicare changes so slow in coming, and so slow in creating any change, need for aid from Canadian pharmacies will continue a good while longer. It is truly unfortunate that a service providing a "humanitarian effort", has more than its share of negative forces working against it. It begs all-important question, "Can it last?" Only time will tell.

One of them is temperature of your bedroom. Adjust temperature of your bedroom so it's conducive to sleeping. It's usually best to have your room a little on cool side, but be sure you have enough blankets on your bed.

Another environmental issue is darkness of our bedrooms. Many people prefer sleeping when it's totally dark, so turn off lights except for night lights.

A key bedroom environment factor is your bed. Purchase best mattress you can afford since you'll spend a large proportion of your life on it.

Quietness is very important to our rest. Try to keep noise down. If that's impossible, consider using ear plugs. Play calming music and avoid watching television just before bedtime. Violent scenes can lead to sleeplessness and violent dreams!

Design your bedroom to be a peaceful sanctuary in your home. Separate your work from bedroom area so your body knows bedroom is a place to rest - not work.

4. Prepare yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually for bedtime.

There are a number of steps you can take before going to bed to prepare yourself physically. Slowly stretching before hitting sack can help you relax. Regular exercise during day will enhance your ability to fall asleep. Taking a warm bath - not a shower - can be helpful too. If you are still tense, a back massage can help you relax. Wear comfortable nonbinding clothing.

Here's most important thing you can do once you've hit sack - let go of day's worries. Bedtime is a bad time to dwell on problems since worry can keep you tossing and turning for hours! I've found that reading Bible and praying before going to bed is a wonderful way to end day. Then I can truly relax and lay down my problems. My sleep is much sweeter and so are my dreams!

5. Seek specialized help if needed.

A medical condition could be preventing you from getting your full rest at night. See your doctor if you have continuing difficulty with falling asleep. Usually it's not wise to take sleeping pills since they can become addictive. They also interfere with body's own inner sleeping rhythm.

Here are three organizations that offer specialized help:

National Sleep Foundation http://www.sleepfoundation.org/about.cfm

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine http://www.aasmnet.org/

National Center on Sleep Disorders Research http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm

The suggestions in this article have been listed to help you get a better night's sleep. Now try putting them into practice and enjoy a more rested and energetic lifestyle.

Pleasant dreams!

Copyright ©2004 by Patricia Wagner