Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to enhance appropriate prescribing and use of prescription medications in Canada

July 26, 2024 | Ottawa, Ontario | Health Canada      

Today, the Government of Canada released the final report from the Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office’s Appropriate Use Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) on the appropriate use of medications. The report provides nine recommendations, focused on five strategic priority areas and includes a framework for Canada’s Drug Agency’s (CDA-AMC) appropriate use program. These recommendations will inform how to best develop and implement a pan-Canadian strategy for the appropriate use of prescription medications.

While medications are intended to improve the health of patients, inappropriate prescribing and use of medications can have a negative impact on patients and significant financial costs for the health care system. If unchecked, inappropriate use can be serious and lead to falls, fractures, memory impairment, loss of autonomy, hospitalizations, and death.

Approximately 1.9 million Canadian seniors regularly use at least one inappropriately prescribed medication. The inappropriate use of prescription medications has an economic cost of $419 million a year, rising to over $1.4 billion when hospital visits and the impacts of these other harms are included.

A national strategy to enhance appropriate prescribing and use of medications will provide a common vision to support both prescribers and patients, and help improve health outcomes for Canadians. The Advisory Committee’s report will guide the CDA-AMC as it engages with provinces, territories, health care providers, patients and other partners, to finalize the strategy, including the development of tools, resources and recommendations for prescribers and patients, and puts its new appropriate use program in place.

The release of this report follows the December 2023 announcement on the creation the CDA-AMC and the February 2024 introduction of Bill C-64 (An Act respecting pharmacare) which is intended to guide ongoing efforts to improve the universal and affordable access coverage for and accessibility, affordability and appropriate use of prescription drugs for all Canadians.