Canada's Drug Agency

We are Canada's Drug Agency

In December 2023, it was announced that Canada’s Drug Agency would be built from CADTH. The work of the drug agency expands on CADTH’s existing mandate and functions — which spans drugs, medical devices, and clinical interventions — and includes new work streams such as:

  • improving the appropriate prescribing and use of medications
  • increasing pan-Canadian data collection and expanding access to drug and treatment data, including real-world evidence data
  • reducing drug system duplication and lack of coordination.

After working with our health systems partners, including Health Canada and the Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office — and with the full support of our Board of Directors — we are ready to lead the implementation and advance the work of Canada’s Drug Agency.

Introducing Canada's Drug Agency

We are expanding on our existing mandate and functions — which span drugs, medical devices, and clinical interventions — and including developing new programs focused on appropriate use, data and analytics, and system coordination and alignment. 

Quick facts

  • Budget 2019 also provided $35 million over four years, to Health Canada to establish a Canadian Drug Agency Transition Office (CDATO) to work with provinces and territories, and other partners to develop a vision and mandate for the CDA. The CDATO was formally established in 2021 to advance this work.
  • In March 2023, the CDATO launched an Advisory Committee of diverse health partners to provide advice and recommendations for a pan-Canadian strategy for the appropriate use of medications and CDA functions within that strategy. In July 2023, the Committee issued its interim report with recommendations on the pillars of a national appropriate use strategy, and key components of a CDA appropriate use program.

 

  • The creation of the CDA further builds on other recent progress made by the federal government towards a national pharmacare program, such as the Improving Affordable Access to Prescriptions Drugs initiative, which has saved PEI residents over $1.7 million in out-of-pocket costs on more than 195,000 prescriptions.
  • In addition, the Government of Canada announced in March 2023 measures in support of the first-ever National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, with an investment of up to $1.5 billion over three years. Through this, the Government will help increase access to, and affordability of, effective drugs for rare diseases to improve the health of patients across Canada, including children.