Harmonization of Canadian drug standards may put private profit before public health; 2.26% CAGR for pharma industry

As pharmaceutical sector regulator Health Canada begins its final consultations on proposals to “modernize” standards on prescription drugs, a study released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), an independent, non-partisan research institute, finds the government agency’s harmonizing initiatives to date, part of the modernization initiative, have been putting private profit ahead of public health.

According to the study by Joel Lexchin, a professor in the School of Health Policy & Management in York’s Faculty of Health and an emergency physician at the University Health Network in Toronto, harmonizing standards on drug regulation among countries could bring important benefits to Canada - but only if harmonization is to the highest standards.

Canada “harmonizing down”