Canadian Panel Calls on Government to Create New Agency for Drug Pricing

A Canadian government advisory panel is calling for the creation of a new agency to negotiate prescription drug prices.

In an interim report, the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare — established in 2018 to offer independent advice on introducing public coverage of prescription drugs — called national spending on prescription drugs “unsustainable,” with annual spending expected to surpass $50 billion by 2028.

The proposed national drug agency would negotiate with manufacturers on drug pricing, monitor prescription drugs’ real-world safety and effectiveness, and develop and manage a national formulary.