Post-market drug safety and effectiveness the focus of new network

Winnipeg. MB – The federal government says it intends to provide $1 million in funding this year to support the establishment of a Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network. It also says it anticipates providing further funding in the future as the network becomes operational.

The virtual network will link existing centres of excellence in post-market pharmaceutical research across Canada and coordinate a common research agenda to increase knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of drugs based on their use in the real world by diverse patient groups, outside the controlled experimental environments of clinical trials.

“The drug research network will collect vital evidence about the real-world risks and benefits of what happens when people use these drugs after they are marketed,” said Dr Noralou Roos, founding director, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba. “It will be linked to universities to build on existing Canadian research capacity and provide a high level of independence and objectivity in the research findings for use by government regulators and other decision-makers.”

In addition to direct benefits to the federal regulator, the new, independent evidence generated will support public decision-making on appropriate access to and prescribing and use of drugs within the Canadian health care system.

The network is also expected to link pharmaceutical researchers with experts to answer policy relevant questions about the real world safety and effectiveness of drug products; leverage greater value from existing investments in post-market research; and fund new research to fill the most pressing gaps in after-market pharmaceutical safety and effectiveness evidence.