Canadian Medical Association Hammers Health Canada (March 2, 2004) In March of this year - The Canadian Medical Association came out in a stern rebuke of Health Canada’s corruption. The CMA says Health Canada is complicit in “too often keeping quiet about buried evidence that questions drug safety and effectiveness.” All to often Health Canada is under fire for its protection of the pharmaceutical industry rather then the Health of Canadians. Former and present Health Canada scientists have broken rank by going public with claims that Health Canada bureaucrats are placing pharmaceutical interests ahead of the health of Canadians. Scientists like Brille-Edwards, Chopra, Haden and Francios have shown courage in speaking out for Canadians.  

The Virginia Fontaine Scandal (July 3, 2004) - Take a look at the Virginia Fontaine Addictions Foundation fiasco where Paul Cochrane, 56, a former assistant deputy minister with health canada's Medical Services Branch (MSB) was charged with one count of breach of public trust and seven counts of fraud against the government on July 3, 2003. The Health Canada official was arrested by RCMP after an investigation show major corruption in accepting bribes for him and family members, including cars, Hawaiian and Caribbean cruises. Mr. Justice Jeffrey Oliphant, Associate Chief Justice of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench stated in court that at least six senior Health Canada officials, including Associate Deputy Minister Marie Fortier, knew beforehand that staff from the facility were going on the cruise, but did nothing to prevent it.

Improve delivery of Drug Information Coroners Jury Rules (April 24, 2001) - In April of 2001 "Decrying Health Canada’s poor track record of warning doctors and patients about adverse reactions to prescription drugs, the Canadian Medical Association Journal has decided to pass U.S. advisories on to its readers. …Canadians deserve to know about potentially harmful side effects much sooner than Ottawa has been telling them.” 

“This is not the first time we have observed Health Canada’s advisory and regulatory actions lagging behind [U.S.], but this is the last time that we will merely observe”. Canadian Medical Association Journal, April 30, 2001  

A 100 million dollar law suit against Health Canada was launched in the Federal Courts by former Ontario MPP Terrance Young after an inquest found Health Canada responsible for the death of his 15 year old daughter Vanessa Young.

“An inquest into the death of Vanessa Young, 15 who died of heart failure after taking Cisapride (Prepulsid), found that Canadians don’t receive effective safety warnings about the drugs they use.”[i][i] The inquest jury’s top recommendations called for a joint body of representatives from health canada, provincial ministries of heath, colleges of physicians and surgeons, colleges of pharmacy, pharmaceutical companies and consumer groups to examine how drug information is delivered. The inquests jury came forward with a total of 59 recommendations. Speaking to the matter a year later in March of 2002 in a press release, Dr. James Lunney, M.P. Health Critic said, “Vanessa Young died from a drug that posed a public safety risk. The government and the pharmaceutical company knew the Prepulsid she was taking was unsafe for years. However instead of alerting the public immediately, Health Canada haggled for months over the wording of a warning letter. The government mismanaged the issue of drug safety, neglected to deal with the problem prior to Vanessa’s death, faces a massive law suit, ignores jury recommendations- and now proposes a status quo solution!” [ii][ii]

As of today, nearly three years since Vanessa’s death, Health Canada still has yet to fulfill the Coroners inquest recommendations.

Credibility or Corruption?

'Anthony Stephan'