The Canadian Patented Medicine Prices Review Board. New rules and new status

The influence of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board in restraining the prices of patented drugs has been established over the past 6 years. Recent legislative and policy changes now in place may result in the Board assuming a more influential, public, and activist posture. This article reviews the way in which the Board carries out its mandate to ensure that patented medicines sold in Canada are not 'excessive'. The Board represents one segment of Canada's ongoing effort to balance what often appear to be irreconcilable tasks-the promotion of an increased domestic research and development investment by the pharmaceutical industry, and the control of expenditures for pharmaceuticals in response to the escalating concerns of the provincial health authorities and consumers.