What are the role and mandate of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board?
As an independent quasi-judicial body, the PMPRB carries out its mandate independently of other organizations such as Health Canada, which approves drugs for safety and efficacy, and public drug plans, which approve the listing of drugs on their respective formularies for reimbursement purposes. The PMPRB has a dual role: Regulatory: To protect consumers and contribute to Canadian health care by ensuring that prices charged by manufacturers for patented medicines are not excessive. Reporting: To contribute to informed decisions and policy making by reporting on pharmaceutical trends and on the R&D spending by pharmaceutical patentees.
