Slow government approval policies and provincial drug plan delays limit Canadians' access to new medicines, says think-tank

Many Canadians are unable to take advantage of new prescription medicines as a result of Canada's slow drug approval process and delays by provincial drug plans in approving new medicines for reimbursement, according to a new, peer-reviewed study from the Fraser Institute, one of Canada's leading public policy think-tanks.

'It takes about 13 months, on average, for Health Canada to approve new drugs as safe and effective. Once approved, many private insurers will immediately pay for these medicines. The provinces, on the other hand, take up to an additional year to make a decision about reimbursement,' said Mark Rovere, Fraser Institute senior policy analyst and co-author of Access Delayed, Access Denied: Waiting for New Medicines in Canada. '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 added.