Health care continues to be the top issue for most Canadians who want assurances from political leaders that they will have access to quality health care when they need it. Health care officials and politicians across the country are challenged by the sustainability problem: how to pay for quality universal health care when costs are rising, and other social programs also need funding.

At the same time, governments are challenged to provide the policy and regulatory environments for the components of health care given finite resources and pressures to improve service. Increasingly, the private sector is being seen as a partner in policy development, but this requires a fine balance between public and private interest and participation that is clear, transparent and accountable.
Given the multi-jurisdictional nature of health policy and innovation across Canada, the Health & Life Sciences practice regularly draws upon Global’s provincial consultants across Canada to provide a national or province-specific suite of services. The Health & Life Sciences team monitors, advocates, and provides strategic and tactical advice on the following issues:

• Regulatory issues, including the health product approval process and Food and Drugs Act modernization
• Public reimbursement policies and trends
• Intellectual property issues (e.g., patent policies)
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial initiatives, including the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) and Common Drug Review (CDR)
• Industrial incentive policy and marketing practice regulations
• Monitoring federal and provincial parliamentary committees and political initiatives

Global’s Health & Life Sciences practice serves international innovative pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, health associations, non-profit health organizations and health care product manufacturers.

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