Statement from the Minister of Health on the deferral of Coming-into-Force of the Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines Regulations

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 23, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos issued the following statement:

As the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic persists and new variants of concern emerge that require urgent action, the Government of Canada is delaying the coming-into-force of the Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines Regulations by six months. These regulations will now come into force on July 1, 2022.

This delay provides additional time for impacted stakeholders, including industry, governments, and other parties within the drug reimbursement and distribution system to continue to focus their efforts on responding to the unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To bring these amendments into force, in the context of a global pandemic, requires preparedness and consultation. A delay also allows the Government to further engage stakeholders on the application of these amendments within the changing pharmaceutical landscape.

The Government remains firmly committed to improving the access to and affordability of quality medicines for Canadians. This work includes the initiative to enhance Prince Edward Island's public drug coverage by expanding its list of covered drugs to a level of coverage more comparable with the rest of Atlantic Canada. The Government is also working closely with all stakeholders and the provinces and territories to build a national strategy for drugs for rare diseases that works for all Canadians in the context of Canada's health system.

The amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations were the first substantive update to the regulations in more than 30 years. These changes aim to protect Canadian consumers from excessive prices for patented medicines by providing the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board with new tools and additional information.

SOURCE Health Canada

Contacts: Marie-France Proulx, Office of Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]