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For general information regarding applicable disclaimers and privacy for B.C. Provincial government Web sites, please consult the following links:

• British Columbia Government standard copyright, disclaimer and privacy statements.
  
  
• The British Columbia Medical Services Plan insures medically required services provided by physicians and some services provided by other health care practitioners, laboratory services and diagnostic procedures. Medical information available through BC HealthGuide OnLine are presented for informational purposes and may not be a benefit under the Medical Services Plan. For further information on Medical Services Plan benefits for BC residents see: http://www.healthservices.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/benefits.html

• BC HealthGuide OnLine is as good as we can make it, but we cannot guarantee that the information it contains will work for you in every case. BC HealthGuide OnLine is only a guide; your common sense and good judgment are also needed. If you receive professional advice in conflict with BC HealthGuide, follow the advice of your health care provider. Because your doctor, or other health care provider, is able to take your specific history and needs into consideration, his or her recommendations may prove to be the best.
  
  
• The BC Ministry of Health does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes or services. The views and opinions of the authors of the HealthwiseŽ Knowledgebase do not necessarily state or reflect those of the BC Ministry of Health, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
  
  
• Some pages may provide links to other Internet sites only for the convenience of World Wide Web users. The BC Ministry of Health is not responsible for the availability or content of those external sites, nor does the Ministry of Health endorse, warrant or guarantee products, services or information offered on these other Internet sites.
  
  
• To provide reliable, continuously updated Canadian drug database information, the Ministry selected MediResource Inc. as the supplier to BC HealthGuide OnLine. MediResource delivers a leading multilingual consumer health care drug database providing detailed information on thousands of prescription medications. This extensive drug database is reviewed by doctors and pharmacists. MediResource employs experts in health and medical education to bring you the best health information possible.
  
  
• To provide reliable, continuously updated health information, the Ministry selected Healthwise, Incorporated as a supplier for the BC HealthGuide Program based on its strong track record in other jurisdictions over the past 30 years. Healthwise is a U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, a designation for organizations of an educational, scientific, or charitable nature, without shareholders and with a volunteer board of directors. The Healthwise Knowledgebase contains in-depth and up-to-date information on thousands of health problems, medical tests, procedures, support groups, and drug therapies. It is created through a proprietary content development process that seeks out the best evidence-based information on every medical issue. An in-house team of physicians, nurses, medical writers and researchers works directly with experts in every medical specialty to fine-tune the accuracy and currency of each topic. The Healthwise Knowledgebase is the foundation of BC HealthGuide OnLine.
  
  
• The Ministry of Health continues to work closely with Healthwise and health professionals in British Columbia to customize the Healthwise Knowledgebase for easy access and use by residents. The Healthwise Knowledgebase has been re-written by Healthwise in consultation with a Canadian team of experts for a Canadian audience. BC-specific information is also being added as links from selected Healthwise topics. Due to the vast quantities of valuable information contained within the Knowledgebase including material that is written by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), it is not possible to modify all content to reflect all Canadian health care conventions, schedules, practices, and so on.
  
  
• Given the quantity of information contained in the Healthwise Knowledgebase, it has also not been possible to modify all its content to reflect Canadian spelling. When conducting a Keyword Search within the Knowledgebase, please keep in mind that the search engine may only recognize the American spelling of medical words or terms.
  
  
• Please refer to the "Helpful Hints" section of this Web site for more information.