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Canada’s Leader in Postmarket Drug Evaluation
The CoLab Network provides credible and timely evidence needed to answer questions from Canada’s senior federal, provincial, and territorial health care decision-makers about postmarket drug safety and effectiveness.
CoLab is a pan-Canadian evidence-generation network comprised of leading experts in applied research, drug evaluation methodology, and data analysis.
Ensuring access to safe, effective, and clinically relevant drugs is important for Canada’s health systems. CoLab answers questions about postmarket drug safety and effectiveness for senior policy decision-makers with timely targeted evidence.
CoLab receives funding from Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) through the Post-Market Drug Evaluation (PMDE) Program. Postmarket drug evaluation focuses on drugs that have proceeded through the approval process and are available to patients and consumers. It helps determine if drugs used in the real-world are safe, work as intended, and are used appropriately.
Our Goals
1.
Answer decision-makers' questions using best-in-class approaches.
2.
Work collaboratively within our pan-Canadian network and with international partners.
3.
Bring decision-makers rigorous evidence according to their timelines.
How It Works
Explore each step of our process:
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Query submission
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Scoping and refinement
  • Topic brief
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Query response team engagement and feasibility assessment
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Delivery of draft protocols and plans
  • Query protocol
  • SAP
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Evidence generation and analysis
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Interpretation of evidence and findings
  • Scientific report
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Knowledge dissemination
  • Knowledge mobilization tools
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Follow-up for impact
Through CoLab, the Post-Market Drug Evaluation Program provides a wide range of services for Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial decision-makers.
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Data Analysis and Observational Research
Use of pan-Canadian data to allow for postmarket evaluation. Targeted safety and effectiveness analyses for therapeutic products. Observational studies to generate new evidence.
data
Formulary Management Support
Health technology assessment of available postmarket evidence, including rapid reviews, systematic reviews, and health economics. Horizon scanning of the pharmaceutical landscape to proactively identify and address health system needs.
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Knowledge Translation
Creation of summary documents and custom knowledge translation tools to support knowledge sharing across a range of audiences.
CoLab works with a wide range of customers who have diverse questions and needs related to postmarket drug evaluation in Canada.
CoLab can provide timely and reliable evidence to pan-Canadian decision-makers, including:

customer
Health Canada
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Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
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Federal Drug Programs
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Provincial and Territorial Drug Programs
CoLab Network
CoLab is made up of a diverse group of experts from across Canada. Review the map to learn more about our core network partners and network collaborators.
Core network partners
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CNODES
B
PODET
C
ADTEC
D
CCRE Platform
Network collaborators
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CAN-AIM
F
Exactis
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ActionADE
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Dr. Michael Law
ABCDEFGH
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CoLab Network
CoLab is made up of a diverse group of experts from across Canada. Review the map to learn more about our core network partners and network collaborators.
network_map
Show all partners
CCRE Platform
Core Network Partner

The Canadian Cancer Real-World Evaluation (CCRE) Platform comprises Canada's leading researchers in real-world evidence in cancer who are uniquely embedded within cancer agencies in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

This team has extensive experience answering decision-maker questions.

CCRE can leverage its role as a data owner and custodian to respond rapidly to decision-maker questions by directly accessing and linking oncology-related health administrative databases.

This team is built on well-established collaborations with organizations such as Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), Alberta Health Services, BC Cancer Agency, the Canadian Association of Provincial Cancer Agencies, Canadian Centre for Applied Research in Cancer Control, Health Data Research Network Canada, and the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Submit a Query
Query Submission Form
To submit a query to CoLab, complete the online Query Request Form (link follows) and select the following option for question #4:
  • Decision related to the safe and appropriate use of drugs approved by Health Canada and currently available to people living in Canada (a postmarket drug evaluation).
Query Request Form
Queries should be about a health care decision or policy issue related to the safe and appropriate use of drugs. Once your query has been received, a member of our team will contact you.
Query Status
Ongoing
Complete
Most recent
Query & Therapeutic AreaReponse team(s) & Start dateProjected Completion

No query found

Query Status
Ongoing
Complete
Most recent

No query found

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