Governments

Count on CAPDM as a reliable, objective, and trusted advisor to federal and provincial governments and regulatory agencies

When it comes to Canada’s pharmacy supply chain, CAPDM is the ONE authoritative and trusted VOICE to governments and stakeholders.

As advocates for the pharmacy supply chain, the impact of CAPDM’s work extends beyond pharmaceutical distribution as we constantly evaluate the needs of stakeholders and a broad membership which includes manufacturers, pharmacies and essential third party service providers. In this role CAPDM is a unifying force for an industry that is as complex as it is vital. 

Founded in 1964, the Canadian Association for Pharmaceutical Distribution Management mandate is to drive healthcare forward by having it's "finger-on-the-pulse" of pharmaceutical distribution. By reaching out to key stakeholders and continually initiating discussions with governments in every jurisdiction and regulatory agencies associated with the pharmacy supply chain, CAPDM is able to monitor important developments while helping to shape policies and best practices that benefit all stakeholders and the well-being of Canadian patients.

 

Many Canadians may not know CAPDM, yet they rely on its members every day…

Canadians rely heavily on their healthcare system as evidenced by the 700,000,000 drug prescriptions that will be filled in 2020. An essential part of Canada’s healthcare system, pharmaceutical distributors are responsible for the distribution of greater than 95% of all retail brand and generic pharmaceuticals to over 11,000 pharmacies, hospitals and clinics in every corner of this vast country.  And they do so with exacting precision, safety and security executing more than 4,000,000 deliveries per year with greater than 99.9% accuracy. Distributors also quickly handle product recalls, and help manage or mitigate drug shortages.
 

Thanks to the behind-the-scenes work of this highly regulated and ultra-efficient distribution model that is the gold standard globally, every patient of every Canadian pharmacy, hospital and clinic has access to the drugs they need, when they need them, whether they live in an urban centre or rural area, and whether their pharmacy of choice is a large chain pharmacy or a smaller independent drug store. With prompt access to medicines, health outcomes improve.

 

Canada’s preferred pharmacy supply chain model saves Canadians over $1 Billion dollars in healthcare costs

Canada’s wholesale distribution model has evolved into the overwhelming distribution system of choice for manufacturers. Thanks to the relentless focus of thousands of dedicated employees from coat to coast, pharmaceutical distributors are able to implement new processes, more effective systems and infrastructure that enable customized orders, delivery, returns and recall management, and even same day order and delivery capability.
In fact, this world-class service delivered by distributors represents less than 2% of provincial drug and pharmacy budgets.

Nearly a decade ago, a Booz Allen study concluded that our internationally recognized supply chain operations saved the Canadian health care system - and Canadian taxpayers - nearly $1billion per year. Today, with continuous and significant investments in automation, new facilities, more advanced IT and ordering systems it is estimated that those savings now well exceed $1 billion annually.

At a time when distribution requirements are becoming even more complex with the development of costly biologics and innovative medicines requiring specialized handling and care, healthcare budgets are also facing immense pressure. Governments can rest assured that this complex and highly regulated industry will continue to evolve and seek ways to meet these challenges. CAPDM members will continue to work with stakeholders to find new efficiencies for the healthcare system, while always safeguarding product quality and patient safety. 

Canadians have confidence in the integrity of their medicines which they expect to receive on the spot or with minimal delay. They too can rest assured that one of the most advanced industries they never have to think about will continue to work behind the scenes to ensure they continue to benefit from one of the finest pharmacy supply chains in the world.