proposed change to drug approval process in canada to cut costs?

PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 328 - 1 Sep 2001

■ In an effort to curtail soaring prescription drugexpenditure in Canada, federal Health Minister AllanRock has proposed making cost effectiveness acriterion determining whether a new drug isreimbursed by government drug plans, reports theLancet. Many new drugs, he says, are far more costlythan their predecessors and yet only marginally moreeffective. In the 15 years to date, spending onprescription drugs in Canada has risen nearly 350%,according to the Canadian Institute of HealthInformation. The proposal has not been well receivedby pharmaceutical manufacturers; they say that such amove will stifle innovation. Rock hopes that a newapproach to drug approvals will be adopted in 2002.Kondro W. Canadian drive to curb drug expenditure. Lancet 358: 648, 25 Aug2001 800876027

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 1 Sep 2001 No. 3281173-5503/10/0328-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved