Media Advisory - New Disruptive Health Technologies, Accessibility and Affordability of Drugs and Devices on the Agenda - 2019 CADTH Symposium in Edmonton, April 14 to 16

OTTAWA, April 11, 2019 /CNW/ - Big system changes are transforming the Canadian health system. At the 2019 CADTH Symposium,  Canada's top health sector experts have news and insights to share about the potential impact of changes like the introduction of national pharmacare, evolving strategies to deal with the opioid crisis, and breakthrough therapies for rare diseases with big prices tags.

Senior policy-makers, health care providers, patients, researchers, and pharmaceutical and medical device industry leaders will gather in Edmonton from April 14 to 16 to discuss how Canada can manage health technologies, adapt to transforming health systems, and better respond to disruption and complexity in health care.

Topics to be discussed include:

• What are the challenges and opportunities for artificial intelligence in health care?  
• How can we expect new disruptive technologies to make an impact on the health system and patient care? 
• Where is gene therapy headed and how do we prepare for it? 
• What values should we be looking at in the debate around pharmacare? 
• How do we treat opioid dependency in dispersed populations? 
• What are the social, medical, and public health costs and benefits of cannabis? 
• How can our health care system manage expensive drugs for rare diseases? 

Featured speakers include:

• Dr. Brian O'Rourke, President and CEO, CADTH 
• Mitch Moneo, Assistant Deputy Minister, Pharmaceutical Services Division, British Columbia Ministry of Health 
• Dr. Vinay Prasad, Associate Professor of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University 
• Colleen Flood, Professor, University of Ottawa, and University Research Chair in Health Law & Policy 
• Frédéric Rupprecht, World Wide Vice-President, Head of Health Economics and Market Access Centre of Excellence for Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices

Key Dates and Times

Monday, April 15

9:30 a.m. — The official opening and opening plenary, "Disruptive Innovation: The Hope and Hype of Transformation," will bring together a diverse group to discuss disruptive new technologies we can expect to see soon, the expectations patients have for health system transformation, and how hype can derail evidence-driven transformation.

11:15 a.m. — "Managing the 'Expense' in Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases"  brings together panellists who will outline the steps being taken to improve decision management, timeliness, and the availability of expensive drugs for rare diseases. 

1:30 p.m. — "Opioid Dependency Treatment for Dispersed Populations, The Alberta Rural Opioid Dependency Program Experience and Results" will examine the success and lessons learned from a program that treated participants in their home communities, including Indigenous communities, via telemedicine.

Tuesday, April 16

7:30 a.m. — Breakfast sessions, including key issues such as a harm reduction policy in Alberta, patient compensation in health research, and how to equip the next generation of health economists. 

1:00 p.m. — "Building the RWE Blueprint: A Coordinated Approach to RWE Use in Pharmaceutical Regulatory and Reimbursement Decisions in Canada" will provide an overview of the current landscape for RWE in Canada, and encourage discussion about next steps to ensure that RWE is being used consistently and appropriately to add value to pharmaceutical decision-making across Canada.

2:45 p.m. — The closing plenary, "The Transformation Challenge," will provide an opportunity for informed dialogue and debate on the challenges and opportunities associated with health system transformation and key issues using an interactive format, with participation from a panel of experts and the audience.

About CADTH

When Canada's health care decision-makers need to know what the evidence says, they ask CADTH. CADTH is an independent, not-for-profit organization responsible for providing Canada's health care decision-makers with objective evidence to help make informed decisions about the optimal use of drugs and medical devices in our health care system. CADTH receives funding from Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments, with the exception of Quebec (www.cadth.ca).

SOURCE Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)