Federal Government Bans Asbestos Use by 2018

On Thursday, December 15th, the Canadian Government made a major announcement stating that they will be moving forward with a “whole-of-government approach to fulfill its commitment to ban asbestos and asbestos-containing products by 2018.” The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health commented on the decision stating that “Across Canada and the world, asbestos-related cancers continue to hurt Canadian families and pose a significant burden for

Four things you should know about the pending Charter challenge against Medicare

By Colleen Flood and Kathleen O’Grady, EvidenceNetwork.ca A version of this commentary appeared in the Globe and Mail, the Medical Post and the Windsor Star A long-running dispute between Dr. Brian Day, the co-owner of Cambie Surgeries Corporation and the British Columbia government may finally be resolved in the BC Supreme Court next year — and the ruling could transform the Canadian health system from coast to coast. The case emerged

CCSN Submission to the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation

On August 29, 2016, the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network made a submission to the Task Force on Marijuana Legalization and Regulation. The text of our submission follows. The Canadian Cancer Survivor Network (CCSN) is a charitable organization of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, friends, community partners and sponsors who work together to take action to promote the very best standard of care, support follow up

Transparent Public Pricing for Biosimilars: pCPA Releases First Principles for SEBs

Guest Blog By Arvind Mani Director of Market Access and Policy Research PDCI Market Access The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) recently issued a communiqué outlining their initial perspective on subsequent entry biologics (SEBs) and innovative/reference biologics as it aims to establish a SEB policy framework.  Key Takeaways It appears that the pCPA’s first principles for SEBs are targeted at ensuring that manufacturers of both SEB and

Why medical marijuana should be exempt from sales tax

The authors are members of the Canadian Medical Cannabis Council patient advisory committee: Lynne Belle-Isle (Canadian AIDS Society), Joanne Simons (Arthritis Society), Cody Lindsay (The Wellness Soldier), Jonathan Zaid (Canadians for Fair Access to Medical Marijuana), Sharon Baxter (Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association), Sandy Smeenk (Improving the Lives of Children) and Jackie Manthorne (Canadian Cancer Survivor Network). While Canada engages in complex dialogue about how best