2025-08-05 from theglobeandmail.com

Health Canada is taking longer to assess generic drug applications, lengthening the wait until the cheaper pharmaceuticals can come to market, new data show.

The federal regulator’s delays mean that it takes more time before patients are able to access some medications, and also that both public and private insurers may spend more on drugs before the less expensive alternatives become available.

Health Canada is supposed to issue rulings on new generics – which are copies of branded drugs whose patents have expired – within 180 days of accepting submissions. In the fiscal year that ended March 31, the regulator hit that target 84 per cent of the time, down from 94 per cent the year before and 100 per cent in three other recent years.

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