Pharmaceutical security for Canada

Abstract

A secure drug supply is critical for high-quality health care and ensuring the health of all people in Canada. When supplies of medicines are compromised, clinicians might be forced to choose second-line therapies; pharmacists spend unnecessary time procuring supplies and, most critically, patients’ health may be compromised. Canada has experienced persistent pharmaceutical shortages for more than a decade,1 with 1 study finding that nearly onequarter of all marketed pharmaceuticals were in shortage at some point between March 2017 and September 2018.2 This means that health care workers and patients or caregivers are often left scrambling to find alternatives. We argue that people in Canada should be able to access critical drugs at all times and suggest ways to achieve this goal.