Review of the Excessive Price Guidelines

The Board's last comprehensive review of its Guidelines was initiated in 2005 and completed in June 2009 with the publication of the Compendium or Policies, Guidelines and Procedures. The revised Guidelines were implemented January 1, 2010.

The Board is committed in its work to assess and consider potential modifications to its Guidelines so that they remain effective both in facilitating Board Staff's review of patented drug prices and in promoting voluntary compliance on the part of patentees to ensure that prices of patented medicines sold in Canada are not excessive.

The current Guidelines are posted on our website. This page chronicles the major steps of the 2005-2009 consultations of the Guidelines.

Draft Revised Excessive Price Guidelines - March 2009

View comments received

• Notice and Comment – Draft Revised Excessive Price Guidelines (March 2009) (PDF)

Draft Revised Excessive Price Guidelines - August 2008

View comments received

• Notice and Comment – Draft Revised Excessive Price Guidelines (August 2008) (PDF)
• Communiqué (PDF)

Discussion Paper - Options for Possible Changes to the Patented Medicines Regulations, 1994 and the Excessive Price Guidelines (PDF)

• View comments received

Working Groups

CGPA/PMPRB WG

• Report, May 2008 (PDF)
• Terms of Reference
• Members List

Therapeutic Improvement

• Report, April 2008 (PDF)
• Terms of Reference (PDF)
• Members List (PDF)

International Therapeutic Class Comparison

• Report, April 2008 (PDF)
• Terms of Reference (PDF)
• Members List (PDF)

“Making” and “Marketing” (ss. 85(2) of the Patent Act)

• Report, May 2008 (PDF)
• Terms of Reference (PDF)
• Members List (PDF)

Price Tests (WG-PT)

• Report, July 2008 (PDF)
• Terms of Reference (PDF)
• Members List (PDF)

For ease of reference to user, information has been set-up in a chronological order

Board's Bilateral Meetings - September 2007

• List of Participants
• View Comments Received

Stakeholders' Communiqué (PDF) - May 2007

Face-to-Face Meetings - November 2006

• Participants Kit
• Summary Reports
  • Edmonton (PDF)
  • Montréal (PDF)
  • Toronto (PDF)
  • Halifax (PDF)
  • Ottawa (PDF)

Discussion Guide for the Consultations on the Board's Excessive Price Guidelines (PDF) - May 2006

• View Comments Received (During the Notice and Comment period)

2005 Consultations on the Excessive Price Guidelines

• Consultation on Guidelines - Timetable (PDF)
  • Release of the Discussion Guide May 23
  • Written Submissions Due August 25
  • Face-to-Face Consultations November
• 2005 Public Consultations on Drug Price Issues (Follow-up) (PDF)
• Consultation October 2005 (PDF)

Price Increases for Patented Medicines

• Discussion Paper (PDF)
• Appendix I (PDF)

Submissions

• Patentees
  • Abbott Laboratories Ltd. (PDF)
  • ALTANA Pharma (PDF)
  • AstraZeneca Canada Inc. (PDF)
  • Baxter Corporation (PDF)
  • Boehringer Ingelheim (PDF)
  • Eli Lilly Canada Inc. (PDF)
  • Merck Frosst Canada & Co (PDF)
  • Novo Nordisk (PDF)
  • Pfizer Canada Inc. (PDF)
  • Serono Canada Inc. (PDF)
  • Wyeth Canada Inc. (PDF)
• Provinces
  • Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Drug Programs Branch (PDF)
  • Saskatchewan - Drug Plan & Extended Benefits (PDF)
• Associations
  • Rx&D (PDF)
• Consultants
  • Brogan Inc. (PDF)
  • ESI Canada (PDF)
• Physicians
  • Dr. Joel Lexchin, M.D. (PDF)
• Third Party Payers
  • Green Shield Canada (PDF)
• Patient Advocacy Groups
  • Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network (PDF)