Modernized programs will better meet the needs of patients and their healthcare professionals
May 10, 2019 - Ottawa, ON - Health Canada
Canadians want improved access to all available treatment options for themselves, their families and friends. At any point in their lives, Canadians could experience a serious medical condition or emergency requiring their healthcare provider to seek access to a treatment that has not yet been authorized in Canada. Similarly, veterinarians sometimes need to use treatments not yet available in Canada to provide urgent care to sick animals.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, announced the launch of consultations on proposed new regulations that would improve Canadians' access to the treatments they need by modernizing the programs that provide access to drugs in extreme situations.
For health products that are not currently available in Canada, the Special Access Programme is used to provide access to human drugs, and the Emergency Drug Release program is used to provide access to veterinary drugs. These programs facilitate access for practitioners treating patients and animals with serious or life-threatening conditions when conventional therapies have failed, are unsuitable or are unavailable.
Health Canada is proposing changes to the Special Access Programme and Emergency Drug Release program that would reduce the administrative burden for healthcare professionals trying to access treatments for their patients. These amendments would allow for a more efficient process for repeat requests. The proposal would also allow drug companies to bring some drugs into Canada in advance of anticipated requests, in order to speed up access to needed treatments.
In addition to these changes, public health officials would have the ability to request human drugs that are unauthorized in Canada for immediate use or to stockpile them in anticipation of a public or military health emergency, event or incident. Existing provisions for emergency access to unauthorized drugs do not permit advance stockpiling.
