Dec 18, 2014
A new law implemented in Canada, the Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act, has expanded Health Canada’s oversight of the country’s medical device market in an effort to bring Canadian patient safety requirements more in line with international standards.
Under the new law, also known as “Vanessa’s Law,” Health Canada’s enforcement powers have broadened across several areas:
Canadian lawmakers have put some real teeth behind these new measures, as well: Maximum fines and penalties for noncompliance have been raised to either $5 million or two-year prison sentences. Any individuals found to make knowingly false or misleading statements to Health Canada or the Ministry of Health could face even higher fines or up to five years in prison.
Health Canada has announced several changes to its licensing processes over the past several weeks, some of which have been