Corporate Profile

Health technology is one of the cornerstones of Canada’s health care system, but each technological advance comes at a price. Faced with mounting cost pressures, health care planners and administrators need authoritative, objective information to help them identify the most clinically beneficial and cost-effective technologies from a constantly expanding array of drugs and sophisticated medical equipment.

Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial health care decision makers rely on the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies (CADTH) in Health to provide them with credible, impartial advice and evidence-based information about the effectiveness of drugs and other health technologies. Unlike regulators who determine which technologies can be used in Canada, CADTH supports decision makers in their determination of which technologies should be used to achieve the best outcomes both for patient health and the health care system. The CADTH is funded by Canadian federal, provincial and territorial governments.

CADTH provides information through three programs.

Health Technology Assessment

The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) program conducts impartial, rigorous, evidence-based reviews of the clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and broader impact of drugs, health technologies and health systems.

Common Drug Review

The Common Drug Review (CDR) conducts objective, rigorous reviews of the clinical and cost effectiveness of drugs and provides formulary listing recommendations to the publicly funded drug plans in Canada (except Quebec).

Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service

The Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service (COMPUS) identifies and promotes evidence-based, clinical and cost-effectiveness information on optimal drug therapy. Strategies, tools, and services are provided to encourage the use of this information among health care providers and consumers.

The Communications and Knowledge Exchange (CKE) division develops and maintains effective two-way communications between CADTH and its various stakeholders.

CADTH is governed by a Board of Directors appointed by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers of Health. Expert Advisory Committees support the Board of Directors as well as CADTH’s executive team and program areas.

Vision

To facilitate the appropriate and effective utilization of health technologies within health care systems across Canada.

Mission

To provide timely, relevant, rigorously derived, evidence-based information to decision makers and support for the decision-making processes.