Fear of missing out: Drug availability in the United States vs Canada.

Background: Per capita spending on drugs in the United States is double that of Canada. One commonly debated point when comparing the 2 countries is whether this additional spending allows residents of the United States access to valuable therapies not available in Canada.

Objective: To characterize the therapeutic value of prescription drugs used in the United States that are not marketed in Canada.

Conflicts of Interest of Canadian Medical School Deans: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Medical school deans wield considerable influence over research, clinical and educational missions at their institutions. This study investigates conflict of interest (COI) of Canadian medical school deans.

Method: The websites of all 17 Canadian medical schools were searched for any mention of relationships between deans and pharmaceutical or medical device companies.

Federal Funding for Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases: How Do We Pick and Choose?

The number of expensive drugs for rare diseases (EDRDs) approved by Health Canada and their contribution to healthcare costs have been rapidly increasing. The federal government has announced a three-year funding commitment of $1.4 billion for EDRDs, but principles need to be developed for how that funding will be allocated, especially in cases where insufficient data are available to guide decision making.

Phase IV Drug Trials With a Canadian Site: A Comparison of Industry-Funded and Non-Industry-Funded Trials.

Recent regulatory reforms have favored expedited drug marketing and increased reliance on Phase IV clinical trials for safety and efficacy assurance. This study, utilizing ClinicalTrials.gov, assesses the characteristics of Phase IV trials, with at least one site in Canada, examining those funded by industry sponsors and those lacking industry funding.

Profits First, Health Second: The Pharmaceutical Industry and the Global South Comment on "More Pain, More Gain! The Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines and the Pharmaceutical Industry's Role in Widening the Access Gap".

The pharmaceutical industry has a long history of prioritizing the research and sale of medicines that will yield the largest amount of revenue and placing the health of people second. This gap is especially prevalent in countries of the Global South. This article first explores the dichotomy in research between the Global North and the Global South and then looks at examples of how access to key medicines used in diseases such as HIV, oncology and hepatitis C is limited in the latter group of countries.