Canadian drug insurance recommendation processes and good governance
What is it about?
Good governance promotes the confidence of citizens in how governments and organizations interact with them and how decisions are made that impact them. The process that leads to a recommendation for coverage in drug insurance plans should be no exception. We examined how the drug reimbursement recommendation processes of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health adhere to good governance principles. We found that their compliance with the principles of accountability, transparency, participatory, equity, responsiveness and consensus is poor, especially when compared with the system used in England.
Why is it important?
Canadians need a national organization for evaluating drugs for reimbursement in the public interest that fully embraces the principles of good governance – one that is publicly accountable, transparent and fair and includes all stakeholders throughout its processes.