Advocacy in Action: April 8
April 8, 2025
.png)
What's happened
Ongoing, Health Canada Drug Shortages Meetings
Through participation at these meetings, CSHP has provided healthcare-systems pharmacy’s perspective on these acute drug shortages:
- Porcine Insulin (Hypurin) Discontinution: Wockhardt UK, the sole global supplier of porcine insulin, has informed Health Canada that it will no longer supply porcine insulin products to the Canadian market. Health Canada is monitoring the remaining supply and is exploring ways to extend the availability of animal-sourced insulin with a UK-authorized supply expiring in May 2026. No additional inventory of these drugs will be available after this inventory has been depleted. For further information, please see Health Canada’s supply notice and view CSHP, CPhA, and CESM’s resource to support pharmacists and healthcare providers in managing this discontinuation.
- Peginterferon alfa-2a (Pegasys): Due to a critical Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a) injection shortage, Health Canada has authorized the temporary importation of US-approved BESREMi (ropeginterferon alfa-2b-njft) with English-only labels by FORUS Therapeutics Inc. While similar, BESERMi is not identical to Pegasys. This shortage may pose significant risks to patients who have been receiving interferon-based therapy for treating myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and is expected to last until the end of December 2025.
- How to support patients during this shortage:
- Do not initiate new patients on Pegasys.
- Do not order or dispense large quantities of Pegasys.
- For patients MPNs, consider alternative medication as per guidance from the Canadian MPN Network: Guidance on transition is available here.
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) patients and pregnant patients should not be switched to Besremi. Pegasys remains the preferred interferon in this population as per guidance from the Canadian MPN Network.
- If a patient cannot be switched to Besremi, it is crucial to optimize dosing by using the lowest effective dose as per the Canadian MPN network.
- Please note that there are differences in the Besremi and Pegasys syringe format. Besremi is only available in a single dose pre-filled syringe with a manual safety needle cap. Counselling patients when converting patients will be required.
- Additional Resources:
- Calcitonin (Calcimar): A tier 3 status was assigned to Calcitonin after Sanofi, the lone supplier of Calcimar (Calcitonin) in Canada reported a shortage. This shortage is a result of unexpected delays. While efforts are being made to expedite manufacturing, further details may only become available in Mid-May 2025. See Health Canada's supply notice here.
What's happening
April to May, Cannabidiol consultation
As part of its 2024-2026 Forward Regulatory Plan, Health Canada is developing a regulatory pathway to authorize certain health products containing cannabidiol (CBD) for sale without a prescription. The consultation, Towards a pathway for health products containing cannabidiol, is currently underway with Health Canada seeking feedback on packaging, labeling, place of sale, advertising/ promotion, and post-marketing surveillance.
CSHP intends to submit a national response to this consultation and is seeking member feedback to help shape its submission. Those with insights on this topic are encouraged to provide feedback to [email protected] by May 26, 2025.
April to May, Consultation on draft guidance on co-packaged drug products
Health Canada has published a draft guidance document on co-packaged drug products along with their components and is currently accepting feedback as part of a public consultation.
CSHP plans to submit a national response and is seeking member feedback to help inform its position. Please share any comments to [email protected] by May 26, 2025.
To catch up on CSHP advocacy news, click here.
Have a question about Advocacy in Action or CSHP's advocacy and consultation work?
Reach out to our professional practice team!