Health Canada Advisories & Warnings

Health Canada has several resources on their site:

• Search recalls and safety alerts.
• Health Product InfoWatch.
• Advisories and Recalls — MedEffect Canada. Subscribe/unsubscribe.

You can also search Health Canada's Drug Product Database Online Query for more complete descriptions of drugs, their use, contraindications and potential risks

Newsletters

The Health Product InfoWatch (formerly The Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter).

The Health Product InfoWatch is a monthly publication intended primarily for healthcare professionals. It provides clinically relevant safety information on pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and natural health products.

Latest Recalls & Safety Alerts

Health Canada's listing of their latest recalls and safety alerts includes a search function.

The following gadget, provided by Health Canada, works only in Chrome.

Older Advisories

The following advisories were posted to this site on the dates indicated:

Oct. 24/11 — STRATTERA (atomoxetine) — a medicine that is used for the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and adults — can increase heart rate and blood pressure. Patients and their caregivers should be aware of the recommendations listed on the Health Canada site.

Oct. 13/11 — Citalopram dose-related heart risk — The heart-related safety of the prescription antidepressant citalopram is being reviewed in light of new study data suggesting that high doses (60 mg/day) can affect the electrical activity of the heart. The changes in electrical activity could potentially lead to serious, possibly fatal abnormal heart rhythms.

Mar. 20/08 — Patients of Asian ancestry using epilepsy drug carbamazepine may be at increased risk of serious skin reactions.

Dec. 13/06 — Health Canada advises consumers not to use herbal sleep supplement containing habit-forming drug.

Sep. 21/06 — Health Canada Advisory: ADHD Drugs & Uncommon psychiatric adverse events.

Mar. 10/06 — Newer antidepressants linked to serious lung disorder in newborns — Health Canada is advising women who are taking antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRI) and who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant to discuss the situation with their doctor due to potential risks to the baby.

Dec. 22/05 — Important safety information on Paxil (paroxetine) and increased risk of cardiac defects following exposure during first trimester of pregnancy — Health Canada endorsed important safety information on Paxil (paroxetine): Additional study shows use of Paroxetine in first trimester of pregnancy may have small increased risk of heart-related birth defects, compared to other antidepressants.

Sep. 29/05 — Use of paroxetine [Paxil] in first trimester of pregnancy may have a small increased risk of birth defects, compared to other antidepressants — Health Canada endorsed important safety Information on Paxil (paroxetine): GlaxoSmithKline Inc., following discussions with Health Canada, is informing patients of new safety information regarding the use of paroxetine during the first trimester of pregnancy. [Note: …duplicated text of a letter from GlaxoSmithKline Inc.]

Jun. 15/05 — Health Canada advises consumers about important safety information on atypical antipsychotic drugs and dementia — Health Canada is advising Canadians about the risks to elderly patients suffering from dementia, who take second-generation antipsychotic medications, also referred to as atypical antipsychotics.

Jun. 3/04 — Health Canada advises Canadians of stronger warnings for SSRIs and other newer anti-depressants — Health Canada is advising Canadians that Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and other newer anti-depressants, now carry stronger warnings. These new warnings indicate that patients of all ages taking these drugs may experience behavioural and/or emotional changes that may put them at increased risk of self-harm or harm to others.

Jun. 2/04 — Health Canada endorsed important safety information on ZOLOFT (sertraline hydrochloride) — Pfizer Canada Inc., following discussions with Health Canada, would like to inform you of important safety information regarding the possibility that SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and other newer antidepressants may be associated with behavioural and emotional changes, including risk of self-harm. [Note: …duplicated text of a letter from Pfizer Canada Inc.]

Feb./04 — Ottawa warns of suicide risk for teens on anti-depressants (PDF no longer available) — Mounting concerns over the safety of prescribing a new generation of anti-depressants to children and teenagers has prompted Health Canada to issue a rare public warning to reconsider their use because the popular drugs may actually increase the risk of suicide.