CDR Evaluation and CCOHTA Response to Recommendations Released
October 12, 2005
OTTAWA — An independent evaluation of the Common Drug Review conducted by EKOS Research Associates was released today by the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA) together with CCOHTA’s response to the recommendations contained in the evaluation.
The Common Drug Review (CDR) program was launched in September 2003 to conduct rigorous, objective and timely reviews of new drugs and provide formulary listing recommendations to federal, provincial and territorial drug plans, with the exception of Quebec. One of the requirements when the CDR was established was that the program be evaluated against its objectives following the first year of operation. The independent evaluation by EKOS, which was commissioned by CCOHTA in the spring of 2005, responds to this commitment.
The full evaluation report is available on the CCOHTA website. A document outlining the report’s four recommendations and CCOHTA’s response to the recommendations is available in the same location.
The EKOS report is based on key informant interviews and an online survey. A range of stakeholders participated in the evaluation, including: public drug plan managers, industry representatives, consumer advocacy groups, researchers, academics and health care providers.
The findings generally reflect that the founders of the process are pleased with the results of the first full year of operation of the CDR and that industry representatives and consumer groups are not entirely satisfied with the CDR.
“We value the input of our stakeholders and the time they took to participate in this evaluation,” commented Barb Shea, CCOHTA’s Vice President CDR and COMPUS. “The CDR is a new and evolving program that we continue to review and refine. We will incorporate the evaluation results into the CDR process wherever possible, while working to ensure it remains rigorous, timely and objective. Transparency has been an important component of the CDR, and it is in keeping with this principle that we are releasing the evaluation results publicly.”
About CCOHTA CCOHTA is a primary source for unbiased, evidence-based information on drugs, devices, health care systems and best practices. Canadian health care decision makers rely on CCOHTA to help them make well-informed health technology choices. CCOHTA is funded by Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments. Formed in 1989 to assess medical devices, CCOHTA has evolved into a comprehensive Canadian source for evidence-based health technology information. Our scope includes health technology assessment, the clinical and cost-effectiveness of new drugs, and best practices in drug prescribing and use in Canada.
For further information, please contact:
Sandy Fox, Communications Officer, CDR
Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment
Tel: (613) 226-2553 ext. 233
E-mail: sandyf@ccohta.ca