Canadians slow to get approved medications

TORONTO – Canadians are not able to quickly access newly developed prescription medicines because of the slow drug approval process and delays by provincial drug plans in approving the medicines for reimbursement, according to a new study released Wednesday by a leading Canadian think-tank.

Mark Roverem, a policy analyst with the Fraser Institute, said it takes Health Canada about 13 months to approve new drugs as safe, but it takes another year for the provinces to make a decision on whether they will cover the drug.

Once drugs are approved by the federal authorities, most private insurers will cover them immediately, he said, but this leaves people that rely on provincial plans out in the cold.

"In the end, the provinces usually choose not to cover these drugs, leaving the one-third of Canadians who rely on provincial drug plans without access to most new medicines," he said.

The study, Access Delayed, Access Denied: Waiting for New Medicines in Canada, found that in 2008, Health Canada took on average 388 days to approve new medications, while the provinces added another 316 days to approve the same drugs for coverage under provincial drug plans.

While the study found this was nearly half as long as it took in 2004, it discovered that only 23 per cent of drugs approved by Health Canada were covered by provincial plans by 2009.

The study suggests that the best solution for Canada might be to take advantage of the processes used in similar jurisdiction, such as the Food and Drug Administration in the United States.