A drug oversight policy is on its way

Re

Now, step up, Health Canada, Editorial Aug. 10 Contrary to what you wrote, we are taking action to make sure there is appropriate oversight of companies providing compounding and admixing services. Right after the chemotherapy underdosing issue came to light, Health Canada made clear to companies the types of regulatory oversight they needed to immediately put in place so they could continue to provide Canadians with the medicines they need — as recognized by the Thiessen report. In parallel, we started working with a group of provincial and territorial colleagues on the long-term solution.

As soon as possible, we plan to have a fair, reasonable approach to oversight that improves patient safety across the country. We want to be sure that any measures put in place are effective and don’t have unintended consequences on the supply of these needed medications. This group is not working alone.

We’ve engaged the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacies, the Canadian Pharmacists Association, Accreditation Canada and the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities. As Dr. Thiessen points out, there was a complicated chain of events that led to patients in Ontario and New Brunswick receiving diluted chemotherapy.

The solutions he proposes to address the situation require a thoughtful, collaborative approach from many players, including provinces not affected by this particular incident. That is exactly the approach we are taking, so that patients and their families do not have to face this kind of difficult situation again. Dr. Supriya Sharma, Senior Medical Adviser, Health Canada