Ottawa – Health Canada needs to take an active role in drug regulation to ensure the safety and protection of all Canadians, emphasized the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology over the course of its two-year study into prescription pharmaceuticals in Canada.

Beginning in March, 2012, the committee’s four-phase study examined Canada’s clinical trial infrastructure; the post-approval monitoring of prescription pharmaceuticals; the off-label use of prescription pharmaceuticals; and the nature of unintended consequences in the use of prescription pharmaceuticals.

In addition, a roundtable discussion with 16 expert witnesses was held on June 6, 2014, to get an update on Canada’s clinical trial infrastructure and to explore certain issues that either spanned several phases of the study or that required further inquiry.

Senators were told by almost all witnesses taking part in this study that Canada’s Food and Drugs Act is outdated and in need of modernization. The study enabled the committee to highlight the need for improved measures to enhance the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs for all Canadians.

Throughout the course of the four-phase study, the committee made a total of 79 recommendations to address some of the challenges facing prescription drugs that have an impact on the health and safety of Canadians.

The committee heard overwhelming support during the roundtable discussion for the recommendations it made throughout these reports and it urges the federal government to implement them with a view to elevating Health Canada’s performance to that of a model pharmaceutical regulator on the world stage.

- Senator Kelvin Kenneth Ogilvie, Chair

“Over the course of this study, we heard testimony about very serious issues that have to do with drug development, monitoring gaps, unintended consequences, the emerging pandemic of antibiotic resistance and oversight problems,” said the Honourable Senator Kelvin K. Ogilvie, chair of the committee. “We are calling on Health Canada to step up its efforts to foster greater collaboration between the provinces to facilitate research and policy decisions.”

- Senator Art Eggleton, P.C., Deputy Chair

“Canadians expect Health Canada to ensure that the prescription drugs they use are safe and effective,” said the Honourable Senator Art Eggleton, the committee's deputy chair. “The committee trusts that regulations to be implemented pursuant to the new provisions in the Food and Drugs Act will reflect the spirit of transparency and openness that resonates in Bill C-17, Vanessa’s Law.”

Associated Links

• Read the report: Prescription Pharmaceuticals in Canada: Final Report
• Learn more about the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology.
• Follow the committee on social media using the hashtag #SOCI.