Health Canada consultation report on improving access to drugs and other health products (including medical devices) in Canada

Health Canada recently released a report on responses to a consultation it hosted focused on identifying the challenges and possible solutions for building a resilient supply of drugs and other health products (including medical devices) in Canada.

Medtech Canada was pleased to represent our industry through this consultation and our association was recognized as an Advisory Committee member in the report (see Annex A). We were also pleased to see many of the key points that we conveyed being represented in the report. 

Below are the five overarching themes in the report, along with key highlights from those sections that are pertinent to our industry and align with our advocacy positions:

Improved communication and transparency

“Industry stressed the importance of information sharing and protecting proprietary information.”

Agile regulatory toolbox

“Stakeholders also suggested making improvements to existing shortage reporting requirements and planning to prevent shortages. We were cautioned not to impose undue burden on industry. Stakeholders also stressed that streamlining regulations and making them more in line with the international community would encourage a more competitive and diversified Canadian market.”

Greater supply chain visibility

“Stakeholders wanted improved inventory level data at different points of the supply chain to better anticipate shortages.”

Enhanced response to supply and demand

“Stakeholders stressed that domestic manufacturing should be strengthened. We also heard that procurement and contracting practices could support health product supply resilience by prioritizing security over price and by contracting with multiple suppliers.”

Regarding next steps, Health Canada indicated the following:

“For the next phase of our work, we will focus on developing a plan that will consider this input. To improve the resilience of Canada's health product supply chain, we will consider:

• the roles and responsibilities of all the partners who have a role to play
• initiatives already underway across the federal government”

Read the full report here.

We thank Health Canada for allowing Medtech Canada to provide feedback on this critically important initiative and we look forward to continue working with Health Canada, as well as other federal and provincial stakeholders, to strengthen the supply chain for medical device technologies in Canada.

Also, a special thanks to Medtech Canada’s Shortages Working Group for contributing to our understanding of these issues.

Medtech Canada members that have questions may contact Medtech Canada’s VP Federal Affairs & National Strategic Partnerships, Raj Malik at rmalik@medtechcanada.org or Medtech Canada’s VP Regulatory Affairs, Mia Spiegelman at mspiegelman@medtechcanada.org.