CADTH Announces Expansion of Common Drug Review (CDR) Program
April 12, 2007
CDR to be expanded to new indications for old drugs
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) today announced that it has received approval and funding from federal, provincial and territorial governments to expand its Common Drug Review (CDR) program to new indications for old drugs.
The CDR conducts objective, rigorous reviews of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drugs compared to alternative therapies, and provides formulary listing recommendations to the publicly funded drug plans in Canada (except Québec).
“We are very pleased with the jurisdictions’ support for the CDR’s role in assessing whether new drugs bring improved health outcomes and provide good value,” said Mike Tierney, CADTH’s Vice-President of CDR. “Although pharmaceuticals have the potential to significantly improve the health of Canadians, prescription drug expenditures are increasing by approximately 10% annually. Therefore, evidence-based assessments of drugs are more critical than ever before.”
The CDR’s original focus was new drugs. In the June 2006 National Pharmaceuticals Strategy progress report, the Health Ministers noted the benefits of the CDR’s collaborative, national approach, and recommended a staged expansion of the program, beginning with new indications for old drugs.
“CADTH is now working to put the necessary resources and procedures in place to support this expansion,” said Tierney. “We expect to begin accepting submissions for new indications for old drugs this fall.”
Federal, provincial and territorial Health Ministers established the CDR program in 2002 to avoid duplication of drug reviews by public drug plans, improve the quality and consistency of the review process, and address the differences in drug coverage among the drug plans.
The CDR has achieved these original objectives. It has replaced 18 separate review and recommendation processes. The program has issued reviews and recommendations for 70 new drugs to the participating drug plans. The CDR has consistently met its review timeframes, and drug plan decisions have followed CDR recommendations more than 90% of the time.
In addition, the CDR has increased the transparency of the drug review process in Canada by publishing drug review status updates, and recommendations and reasons for recommendations; by providing opportunities for drug manufacturers to comment on draft reviews and recommendations; and by including public members on its expert advisory committee.
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) is a national body that provides Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial health care decision makers with credible, impartial advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness and efficiency of drugs and other health technologies.
For more information, visit www.cadth.ca or contact:
Sandy Fox, Senior Communications Officer, Common Drug Review
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
Tel: (613) 226-2553 E-mail: sandyf@cadth.ca