A1 radio interview with Maggie on safety reviews of drugs by Health Canada

On April 8^th,  Maggie Cheung, from Custom Care Pharmacy, was invited to A1 radio AM 1430 to answer questions about the new initiative from Health Canada to publish summaries of medication safety reviews on their website. 

For this month’s blog, we will explain the role of Health Canada in approving and monitoring the safety of medications in Canada. We will also provide you with the link to see the posted safety reviews, as well as the Cantonese interview segment on A1 radio. 

Click on the link to listen: http://www.ccue.ca/a1_radio/yangwanwen/  (Choose 上半部 skip to 21:00)

How does Health Canada ensure that drugs available in Canada are safe to use?

All prescription drugs authorized for sale in Canada are required to have approval and labeling from Health Canada that clearly outlines the benefits and harms of the drug product.  Once it is available for sale, Health Canada continues to monitor the safety of drug products to identify potential safety issues. If safety issues are identified, a safety review is conducted to determine if there are new risks associated with the health product. If so, Health Canada may take a number of actions including:

• Notifying Canadians or health professionals

• Requesting changes to the product labeling

• Requesting additional information, studies or more monitoring

• If necessary, withdrawal from the Canadian market.

Summaries of these safety reviews will now be posted on the Health Canada website:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dhp-mps/medeff/advisories-avis/review-examen/index-eng.php

Currently, there is only 1 safety review posted regarding the Acne medication Diane-35.

Do I have to check for safety reviews of the drugs that I am taking? Will my doctor and pharmacist know about changes to the safety information of the drugs that I am taking?

Doctors and pharmacists have always been informed when there are changes to the Health Canada approval and labelling of drug products, including the changes to safety information. What is new is the publishing of the summaries of safety reviews online, which enables patients to see this information as well.  The summaries can provide patients with an awareness of any new changes to the safety profile of the reviewed drug. However, it is important that patients continue to discuss with their doctor and pharmacist regarding any concerns about the safety of the drugs that they are currently using. 

If you have questions about a drug that you are taking,  our pharmacists can help you. Our number is 905-305-0111  CUSTOM CARE PHARMACY