The Annals of pharmacotherapy
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Comparative Study
Canadian and US drug approval times and safety considerations.
Approval times of new drugs are frequently longer in Canada than in the US, but it has been argued that reducing approval times might lead to unsafe drugs receiving marketing approval. ⋯ When serious drug safety problems were identified in a timely manner after US approval, the products were not subsequently approved in Canada. Canada avoided potential dangers because its longer approval times provided an opportunity to observe actual market experience in other countries. However, the trade-off is that new drugs, including those for conditions for which current therapy has limited efficacy, take significantly longer to be approved in Canada and, hence, to be available to Canadians.
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Pharmacy and medical schools share similar concerns regarding the need to place greater emphasis on professional socialization. Many academic institutions of both professions have elected to establish a white coat ceremony to initiate the process of inculcating professional values. However, a recent literature search revealed little published information on pharmacy white coat ceremonies. ⋯ The white coat ceremony is a growing phenomenon in pharmacy education that could play a pivotal role in the quest to better achieve professional socialization among students.