After first year of operation Common Drug Review rejects 60% of drugs reviewed.

The Common Drug Review (CDR), announced in September 2001, began reviewing drugs in December 2003. The CDR was set up to review new drugs that have been approved for Canadian use by Health Canada and to provide recommendations for coverage and reimbursement by publicly-funded federal, provincial and territorial (F/P/T) drug benefit plans in Canada. The CDR process involves two steps: (i) a systematic review of the available clinical evidence and a review of the pharmacoeconomic data for the drug, and (ii) a listing recommendation by the Canadian Expert Drug Advisory Committee (CEDAC). Each of the drug benefit plans that participate in CDR then makes its own formulary listing and benefit coverage decisions based on the CEDAC recommendation and the plan's mandate, priorities and resources.i

Graph source: www.ccohta.ca

Unlike health-decision making processes in most other countries, in Canada the CDR process excludes participation by patients or consumers in their drug reviews.
As of the end of December 2004, CEDAC had reviewed and had recommended against any coverage for 60% of the drugs that it had reviewed and had recommended restricted coverage for 13%. Canadians who rely on publicly funded drug programs for prescription drug benefits should be concerned that the Common Drug Review appears to be working as a barrier to access to new medicines.

*Recommend to list as similar drugs: the CEDAC committee recommends that the drug be listed in a similar manner as the drug plan lists other drugs in the same class.