Health Canada (HC)

What is Health Canada? Health Canada is the agency within the Canadian government that leads national health policy to promote and protect the health and safety of Canadians. It oversees the regulation of health-related products and services, including medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs, natural health products, biologics, and foods. Health Canada operates under the Food and Drugs Act, the Medical Devices Regulations, and other relevant statutes. What does Health Canada do? Health Canada manages the full life cycle of health products to ensure they meet rigorous requirements for safety, efficacy, and quality. Pre-market evaluation is conducted by its specialized directorates, such as the Medical Devices Directorate and the Pharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, depending on the product type. Once products are approved, Health Canada continues to monitor their performance through its Marketed Health Products Directorate, which oversees post-market surveillance, adverse event reporting, and product recalls. The department also enforces regulatory compliance on imported health-related goods at borders, coordinating with agencies like the Canada Border Services Agency.