B.C. health minister says he expects Ottawa to protect Canadians from drug shortages

B.C. health minister says he expects Ottawa to protect Canadians from drug shortages

British Columbia’s health minister says potential exports of Canadian drugs to U.S. states would be a devastating blow — but he doesn’t believe it will come to that. In an interview airing Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live, Adrian Dix said a decision by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow Florida to import millions of dollars worth … Read more

French Pharma Firm Ordered to Pay Millions Over Deadly Diabetes Drug

French Pharma Firm Ordered to Pay Millions Over Deadly Diabetes Drug

PARIS —  A French appeals court on Wednesday ordered pharmaceutical firm Servier to pay more than $460 million in damages over a scandal involving a diabetes drug linked to hundreds of deaths. The health scandal came to light in 2007 when a doctor raised the alert on heart risks linked to Mediator, a drug destined … Read more

National pharmacare plan is in limbo as health minister calls pending deadline ‘arbitrary’

National pharmacare plan is in limbo as health minister calls pending deadline ‘arbitrary’

Health Minister Mark Holland signalled Tuesday the government is unlikely to meet the end-of-the-year deadline imposed by the NDP for passing pharmacare legislation — a condition of the supply-and-confidence agreement that was struck to keep the Liberals in power until 2025. Holland said talks are ongoing with NDP MP Don Davies, the party’s health critic, … Read more