Health Canada

Health Canada

Santé Canada
Department overview
Formed	1996
Type	Department responsible for national public health
Jurisdiction	Canada
Employees	12,000
Minister responsible	Jane Philpott
Website	www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Health Canada (French: Santé Canada) is the department of the government of Canada with responsibility for national public health.

The current Minister of Health is Jane Philpott, a Liberal Member of Parliament appointed to the position by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Branches, regions and agencies

Health Canada has the following branches, regions and agencies:

Ministers and officers

• Minister of Health
• Deputy Minister - Simon Kennedy
• Associate Deputy Minister - Paul Glover
• Chief Public Health Officer

Branches

• Audit & Accountability Bureau
• Chief Financial Officer Branch
• Communications and Public Affairs Branch
• Corporate Services Branch
• Departmental Secretariat
• First Nations & Inuit Health Branch
• Healthy Environments & Consumer Safety Branch
• Health Products & Food Branch
• Legal Services
• Regions and Programs Branch
• Strategic Policy Branch
• Pest Management Regulatory Agency (operates as a branch)

Agencies

• Public Health Agency of Canada
• Assisted Human Reproduction Canada
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Commission
• Patented Medicines Prices Review Board

Offices

• Office of the Cameron Visiting Chair
• Office of the Chief Dental Officer
• The National Office of the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
• Nurse Recruitment
• Public Services Health Medical Centre

Laboratories

• Laboratory Centre for Disease Control
• Sir Frederick G Banting Research Centre

Compliance and Enforcement

The Compliance and Enforcement Directorate supports Health Canada's mission to help Canadians maintain and improve their health by enforcing the laws and regulations related to the production, distribution, importation, sale and/or use of consumer products, tobacco, pest control products, drugs, biologics, medical devices and natural health products.

The Directorate conducts inspections and investigations to ensure products are safe, of good quality, and properly labelled and distributed, in order to better protect Canadians from potentially harmful products and consumables.

Compliance and Enforcement Directorate is divided into six distinct programs:

• Canada Vigilance Program
• Controlled Substances Program
• Inspectorate Program
• Pesticide Control Program
• Product Safety Program
• Tobacco Control Program

Related legislation

Acts for which Health Canada has Total or Partial Responsibility

• Assisted Human Reproduction Act
• Canada Health Act
• Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act
• Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act
• Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Implementation Act (Not in force)
• Department of Health Act
• Financial Administration Act
• Fitness and Amateur Sport Act
• Food and Drugs Act
• Hazardous Materials Information Review Act
• Hazardous Products Act
• Patent Act
• Pest Control Products Act
• Pesticide Residue Compensation Act
• Quarantine Act, 2005
• Radiation Emitting Devices Act
• Tobacco Act & Act to Amend the Tobacco Act (Sponsorship)

Acts for which Health Canada is Involved or has a Special Interest

• Broadcasting Act
• Canada Labour Code
• Canada Medical Act
• Canada Shipping Act
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act
• Emergency Preparedness Act
• Energy Supplies Emergency Act
• Excise Tax Act
• Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act
• Feeds Act
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
• National Parks Act
• Nuclear Safety and Control Act
• Non-Smokers Health Act
• Queen Elizabeth II Canadian Research Fund Act
• Trade Marks Act

Criticisms

An editorial published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal has called for Health Canada to more strictly regulate natural health products. The editorial cited weaknesses in current legislation that allow natural health products to make baseless health claims, to neglect side-effects research prior to products reaching market, and to be sold without being evaluated by Health Canada.

On September 10, 2012 a report on CBC television questioned the safety of drugs sold in North America . The Brandon Sun reported that Health Canada is secretive about inspections about drugs manufactured overseas, leaving the public unsure about the safety of these drugs.

See also

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• European Medicines Agency (EMA)
• Health care in Canada
• First Nations Health Authority
• Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW)

External links

• Health Canada
• Health Canada's channel on YouTube
• Healthy Canadians
• Health Canada's MedEffect Adverse Reaction Database
• Health Canada's It's Your Health section
• Health Canada Population Based Case Study
• Health Canada Guidances
• Analysis: New, Final Health Canada eCTD Guidance for Industry
• Update from the Regulators: Health Canada