Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences

Medical tourism has become a mainstream choice for Canadians facing long wait times or high out-of-pocket costs for dental implants, orthopedic procedures, fertility treatment, and other care.

This panel from Gluckstein Lawyers' 2026 Supporting Survivors of Sexual Abuse Conference examines how fragmented care systems fail Indigenous women and other marginalized survivors of sexual abuse. Featuring Indigenous perspectives and intersectionality research, the discussion explores what culturally responsive, trauma-informed care requires in practice and how survivor support services can move toward genuine systems navigation rather than disconnected referrals.

The new framework effectively positions public drug and supplemental benefits plans as payers of last resort. Where a member is entitled to alternative coverage, that coverage must be accessed first, and the public plan will only pay in limited circumstances and only up to the unpaid portion of the claim.

Santé Canada a annoncé de nouvelles mesures pour réduire l'arriéré d'examens des présentations de médicaments génériques, incluant la priorisation de certaines présentations...

The new framework effectively positions public drug and supplemental benefits plans as payers of last resort. Where a member is entitled to alternative coverage, that coverage must be accessed first, and the public plan will only pay in limited circumstances and only up to the unpaid portion of the claim.

Health Canada issued revised guidance on notifying Health Canada of foreign actions, effective October 1, 2026. The revised guidance clarifies the requirements to notify Health Canada of certain foreign regulatory actions specified in subsection C.01.050(2) of the Food and Drug Regulations in the specified foreign jurisdictions, which involve a serious risk of injury to human health and are relevant to the safety of the drug.

As we previously reported, Health Canada consulted on the framework for clinical trials, including on the new Clinical Trials Regulations and draft and updated guidance documents. Health Canada has now published a What we heard overview of the results of the consultation.

The September NEWSletter also provides information about the PMPRB’s participation in past and future events, as well as NPDUIS research initiative and activities.

It builds on the CDA’s 2025 Position Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and was adapted from guidance published by the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (“NICE”). While the CDA does not prohibit the use of AI, its overall position is cautious: AI should generally supplement, not replace, established methods.