Mandatory Drug Shortage Reporting

Read Health Canada's announcement that drug shortage reporting will now be mandatory for manufacturers

CPhA Statement

Feb. 10, 2015 (Ottawa): The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) has been a national leader in addressing drug shortages. In 2011, CPhA led a multistakeholder Working Group involving manufacturers, wholesalers, health providers, and government that created Canada’s first-ever national drug shortages reporting system, www.drugshortages.ca. This system was created to give pharmacists and other health care providers greater information and transparency with regard to drug shortages so that they could develop alternative therapies and care plans to patients. Although not meant to address the root causes of drug shortages, the reporting system serves as a tool to assist pharmacists and other health providers deal with shortages when they occur.

We applaud the Minister of Health for taking steps to increase the level of transparency and information available to health providers on drug shortages. Over the next few months, Health Canada will draft regulations to enable this announcement; CPhA looks forward to engaging with the federal government in finalizing those regulations. However, improved reporting is only a part of the solution. CPhA will also continue to work with governments, manufacturers, health providers, and other stakeholders to look at ways to address the root causes of shortages in order to minimize their occurrence in Canada.

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For more information contact:

Jeff Morrision
Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs
613-523-7877 ext. 386
1-800-917-9489 ext. 386
jmorrison@pharmacists.ca