Canada needs to reduce the time it takes for innovative medicines to be made available on public drug plans. Canada is currently the worst in the G7 and much longer than the OECD average in the time it takes for new drugs to be available on public plans. The overly complex process, involving five sequential steps, by which drugs are approved for public reimbursement can be simplified and streamlined to reduce the average time to patient access. This will support better patient health outcomes and attract more investment into Canada’s life sciences sector.

Family physicians and specialists across Canada are increasingly concerned with rising administrative responsibilities and the departures of practitioners from the profession. All levels of government must work collaboratively to reduce red tape and streamline practice requirements.

There are concerns with the changes being imposed by Health Canada on the Self-care Framework related to the imposition of additional new fees, labelling requirements, new regulatory burdens on natural health product businesses; and inequitable authority over the natural health product community.. The new regulatory burdens and costs on natural health product businesses will make it difficult for small producers to comply and will force them to scale back the variety of their offerings or cease production altogether.