Regulatory Transparency and Openness - 2015-2016 Activities

Health Canada is committed to being transparent and open and has launched the Regulatory Transparency and Openness Framework and Action Plan to show how we are delivering results. Over the years to come, we will continue to make even more information available and easily accessible.

Here you will find the Regulatory Transparency and Openness Activities planned for 2015-2016. Learn more about Health Canada’s efforts on Regulatory Transparency and Openness.

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Inform and Engage

Communicate Health Canada's complex regulatory role and demonstrate the direct impact on the lives of Canadians

We play a central role in developing rules and regulations, for thousands of products used by Canadians every day. We will work to better communicate what we do to help protect them from unsafe products.

Include more information in the Drug and Health Product Register

Canadians will have access through this searchable database to even more consumer-friendly information on a wider variety of products: including what they are used for, safety warnings and common side effects.

Post guidelines to clarify how Health Canada will engage the public and industry

Building on a solid history of public consultation, we will work to let Canadians know what they can – and should – expect from Health Canada when being asked for their views on the Department’s activities and initiatives.

Enable

Provide more guidance to support compliance with regulatory requirements

Health Canada will provide industry with more guidance to support compliance with requirements to provide Canadians with safe health and consumer products. Guidance will be posted for new powers under Vanessa's law, marijuana for medical purposes and consumer products.

Provide explanations for regulatory decisions to approve/accept or reject applications for the sale of novel drugs and food, and high risk medical devices

We will start to make more information available about products that Health Canada approves/accepts. In addition, we will start to provide information about products that are not approved, and why.

Post scientific data and studies and expand sharing of scientific data and information with scientists and experts outside of Health Canada

To support the Government of Canada's efforts to make government more transparent through the Open Government Initiative, we will make more scientific information publicly available on a pro-active basis through mechanisms such as the government's Open Data Portal.

Enforce

Health Canada will begin to post previously-unavailable inspection information for drugs, medical devices and other health products.

Expand information in the Inspection Tracker

Through the Inspection Tracker, Health Canada provides a snapshot of potential health and safety issues it is tracking with drug manufacturing establishments. The information will be expanded to include more details about Canadian and international drug companies and products.

Post Annual inspection information for pesticides

For the first time, we will start to make inspection information available about pesticides.

Quarterly inspection reports for marijuana for medical purposes

We will begin to post quarterly reports for these inspections to show how many inspections the Department has conducted in this area.

Roll-out annual reporting on compliance and enforcement activities across Health Canada

Starting with reports for pesticides and marijuana for medical purposes.

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Your input and comments are valuable to us. Let us know how we are doing and provide us your advice on how we can continue to improve.

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