"Moving forward, Health Canada will continue to evaluate our collaborative approach and work with stakeholders to identify opportunities to make it work even better," wrote Health Canada in an email. The Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association stated it too is working to address the problem, but acknowledges "reporting drug shortages does not … prevent or stop drug shortages, or deal with the root causes of shortages." On Thursday, Health Canada acknowledged that drug shortages cause tremendous anxiety for patients and announced a new measure to help — mandatory reporting for drug companies that will be made public through a website and app. Innovative Medicines Canada, the industry group that represents name-brand drugs and runs the current shortage database, said it will participate in the new Health Canada reporting system. The causes range from production issues, sole source contracting, unexpected surges in demand for a drug and difficulties accessing raw supplies, according to Health Canada.

Source: CBC News May 20, 2016 19:03 UTC