National Pharmaceuticals Strategy: Progress Report

Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministerial Task Force on the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy

June 2006
Cat. H21-275/2006 (PDF Version)
ISBN 0-662-49443-1 (PDF Version)

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(554K)

Table of Contents

National Pharmaceuticals Strategy
Ministerial Task Force
Executive Summary
Introduction

Background and Rationale
Purpose of this Report

Part I - Prescription Drugs and the Canadian Health Care System: Opportunities and Challenges

1.1 Federal and provincial/territorial roles with respect to pharmaceuticals
1.2 Role and value of pharmaceuticals in health care
1.3 Challenges and Opportunities
Access
Safety, Effectiveness and Appropriate Use
System Sustainability

Part II - National Pharmaceuticals Strategy

2.1 Purpose & Objectives
2.2 An Integrated, Collaborative and Comprehensive Approach
Collaboration and cooperation among governments
2.3 Stakeholder engagement

Part III - A Snapshot of Progress & Recommendations: Five Priority Areas

3.1 Catastrophic Drug Coverage
3.2 Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases
3.3 Common National Formulary
3.4 Drug Pricing and Purchasing Strategies
3.5 Real World Drug Safety and Effectiveness

Part IV - Progress on Other NPS Elements

4.1 Electronic-prescribing (e-Rx)
4.2 Appropriate Drug Prescribing and Utilization

Part V - Moving Forward
List of Acronyms

Notes

National Pharmaceuticals Strategy

The founders of Medicare a half-century ago established the principle of equity of access to hospitals and doctors' services for all Canadians. First Ministers agree that no Canadians should suffer undue financial hardship in accessing needed drug therapies. Affordable access to drugs is fundamental to equitable health outcomes for all our citizens.

First Ministers directed Health Ministers to establish a Ministerial Task Force to develop and implement the National Pharmaceuticals Strategy and report on progress by June 30, 2006. The strategy will include the following actions:

• Develop, assess and cost options for catastrophic pharmaceutical coverage;
• Establish a common National Drug Formulary for participating jurisdictions based on safety and cost effectiveness; Accelerate access to breakthrough drugs for unmet health needs throughimprovements to the drug approval process;
• Strengthen evaluation of real-world drug safety and effectiveness;
• Pursue purchasing strategies to obtain best prices for Canadiansfor drugs and vaccines;
• Enhance action to influence the prescribing behaviour of health care professionals so that drugs are used only when needed and the right drugis used for the right problem;
• Broaden the practice of e-prescribing through accelerated developmentand deployment of the Electronic Health Record;
• Accelerate access to non-patented drugs and achieve international parity on prices of non-patented drugs; and
• Enhance analysis of cost drivers and cost-effectiveness, including bestpractices in drug plan policies.

[It is understood that Quebec will maintain its own pharmacare program.]

Extract from A 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care, September 16, 2004

Ministerial Task Force

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