Canadians should be able to properly access and afford the prescription drugs they need. Many Canadians are left vulnerable due to high drug costs, inaccessible health data, and the lack of consistent standards for prescribing practices.
To understand these challenges better, the Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office (CDATO) consulted extensively with provinces, territories (PTs) and key stakeholders to recognize the core gaps in the pharmaceutical system.
Presently, as the next step in improving the pharmaceutical system in Canada, the Honorable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, announced the creation of the Canadian Drug Agency (CDA). The CDA will offer the dedicated leadership and coordination needed to make Canada’s drug system more sustainable and well prepared for the future, helping Canadians to achieve better health outcomes.
The CDA will be built from the present Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and in partnership with provinces and territories (PTs). Over five years the Government of Canada is investing $89.5 million to create the CDA, in addition to the present federal funding of $34.2 million annually to support CADTH.
The CDA will join and expand on CADTH’s expertise in the pharmaceutical sector, including its strong leadership and technical proficiency. The CDA will build on CADTH’s existing mandate and functions, and expand them to include new work streams where it includes to improve proper prescribing and use of medications, for better patient health and to support system sustainability, increasing pan-Canadian data collection and expanding access to drug and treatment data, which includes real-world evidence data, to support patients better, inform health decisions and allow robust system data analytics.
To develop the CDA the government will work with CADTH and PTs. Once the CDA is operational, it will take a major role in the drug system to make sure that Canadians have better health outcomes and access the medications which they need now and in the future.
Susan Fitzpatrick, Head of the Canadian Drug Agency said that, during the past two and a half years, they have made significant progress towards building the CDA and he would like to thank those who have participated in the engagements to date for their kind advice on the establishment of a CDA. We want to make sure that the CDA reflects diverse insights and needs, including the perspectives of patients and individuals with lived experience.
In March 2023, the CDATO launched an Advisory Committee of diverse health partners to provide advice and recommendations for a pan-Canadian strategy for proper use of medications and CDA functions within that strategy. In July 2023, the Committee issued its interim report with recommendations on the pillars of a national appropriate use strategy, and key components of a CDA appropriate use program.
In March 2023, The Government of Canada announced the measures to support the first-ever National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, with an investment of up to $1.5 billion over three years. Through this, the Government will help to increase access to affordability of effective drugs for rare diseases so that it will improve the health of patients across Canada, including children.
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