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Special Access to Drugs and Health Products

Health Canada, through its Special Access Programme (SAP), allows doctors to gain access to non-marketed drugs and medical devices that have not yet been approved for sale in Canada.

Practitioners treating patients with serious or life-threatening conditions request Special Access in cases where conventional therapies have failed, are unavailable or are unsuitable.

The Donor Semen Special Access Programme (DSSAP) provides authority for a processor, distributor or importer to release a specific quantity of donor semen to a physician for use in the performance of assisted conception in exceptional cases.