Patient Input

Context

The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) added patient group input to its Common Drug Review (CDR) process in May of 2010. This initiative helps ensure that health outcomes and issues important to patients are incorporated into the CDR process in a formal and meaningful way.  

A CDR review includes an objective, rigorous review of a drug’s effectiveness and safety, its cost-effectiveness (or value for money) compared with other available therapy, as well as patients’ perspectives on the drug. This information is then used by the Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC) — a CADTH advisory body — to make formulary listing recommendations to Canadian public drug plans (except Quebec). 

When to Submit Patient Group Input to CADTH 

As soon as CADTH receives a submission to the Common Drug Review from a manufacturer or participating drug plan, or notice of a pending submission, it posts this information in the Calls for Patient Input table at the bottom of this page, along with the respective deadline for providing patient input. In addition, CADTH issues an e-alert to subscribers. Patient groups and individuals are encouraged to subscribe to Calls for Patient Input e-alerts using the CADTH Subscribe option.

Note:

• The patient input deadline is typically 15 business days from the date CADTH receives the manufacturer or drug plan submission.  If the manufacturer provides advance notice of the submission, the patient input deadline is extended by the number of business days of advance notice (maximum 10 days), increasing the deadline to a maximum of 25 business days.

Steps for Providing Patient Input

• Review the Guide for Patient Group Input to the Common Drug Review at CADTH for information about the type of patient input CADTH is requesting, how it will be incorporated into the CDR process, and the process for submitting patient group input.
• Download the Template for Submitting Patient Input to the Common Drug Review at CADTH
• Complete the template.
• Submit the completed document, either by:
  • using the Submit link in the table below for the drug of interest (the recommended method); or
  • faxing the completed template to CADTH at 613-226-5392.

Please note that patient input should be submitted:

• through an organized patient group
• by the posted deadline
• in English, and not exceed six (6) typed pages (approximately 3,500 words).

If you have any questions about the patient input initiative or a patient group submission, please contact CADTH, Central Intake, by telephone at 613-226-2553 or by email at requests@cadth.ca. Those who file online submissions receive an immediate automated email acknowledgement. 

Tracking a CDR Review and CDEC Recommendation

The progress of a drug through the CDR process may be followed through the CDR Drug Database, specifically the Submission Status Reports. Final CDEC Recommendations are also posted in the database. The information in the database may be sorted in a variety of ways. The sort by “Indication” (condition) may be of particular interest to patients. (Use the black downward arrow to select the “Sort” option, then click on the “Sort” button.) 

Feedback

The initiative for patient group input to CDR has been developed in consultation with the participating drug plans, other international drug review agencies, and patients. CADTH intends for this process to be user-friendly. We would be grateful for feedback, which may be submitted to feedback@cadth.ca.

Calls for Patient Input

Please see the abovementioned section Steps for Providing Patient Input before making a patient group submission. The following table lists all drug submissions received by CADTH, and pending submissions when the manufacturer has provided advance notice.