Guidance Document to Mitigate Drug Shortages through Contracting and Procurement

In June 2012, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health tabled a report: Drug Supply in Canada: A Multi-Stakeholder Responsibility, in which they noted the numerous causes of possible shortages, while singling out sole source contracting as the most avoidable cause of drug supply disruptions. The document was updated in 2017 to reflect the Government of Canada’s introduction of the Regulations on Mandatory Drug Shortage and Discontinuation Reporting.　

To address the role of contracting practices in drug shortages, the MSSC developed a Guidance Document to Mitigate Drug Shortages through Contracting and Procurement. The guidance document outlines best practice contracting guidelines, procurement strategies, and tools to address common drug supply chain shortage vulnerabilities. These guidelines, strategies, and tools can be applied by and negotiated between various supply chain stakeholders to better prevent and mitigate shortages.