Publications
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Beware If You Compare: Data Protection May Stop Approval Of A New Drug Submission
Sanofi-Aventis’s ELOXATIN® had been sold in Canada since 1999 under the Special Access Program (SAP) of Health Canada, which allows for sale of a drug in exceptional cases prior to receiving regular marketing approval, i.e. prior to the issuance of a Notice of Compliance (NOC). The active (…)
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A physician’s refusal to undergo refresher training is sufficient grounds for a health institution to deny the renewal of status and privileges
On August 18, 2015, the Tribunal administratif du Québec (TAQ) confirmed the decision of a health institution to not renew the status and privileges of one of its physicians after he refused to undergo refresher training to acquire skills that were necessary to perform his new duties.1 The (…)
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Education: Obligations of physicians practising in a university hospital centre
In a decision rendered on April 30, 20151, the Administrative Tribunal of Québec (the "ATQ") upheld a decision of the board of directors of a university hospital centre that refused to renew the status and privileges of a physician who failed to fulfill the obligations associated with the enjoyment (…)
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Confinement orders: Psychiatric examination reports not automatically excluded when a patient’s fundamental rights and freedoms are violated
In a judgment handed down on January 30, 2015, the Court of Québec held that the failure to respect the prescribed time limits or the violation of a patient’s fundamental rights and freedoms does not lead to the automatic exclusion of a psychiatric examination report concluding that the patient (…)
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Recent developments on patent-eligibility of medical use claims in Canada
Last December, the Federal Court of Canada overturned a decision of the Commissioner of Patents to refuse a patent claiming a fixed dosage regimen for the drug Humira® (Adalimunab) used in rheumatoid arthritis. The Court’s decision 1 is found here: 2014 FC 1251. This Court decision was an appeal of (…)
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Time limit for handling complaints from health care consumers: the Supreme Court of Canada refuses to intervene
On February 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Dr. Gilbert Liu's application for leave to appeal a Court of Appeal decision concerning the time limit for handling complaints from users of health institutions. In a unanimous decision rendered September 4, 2014, the Court of Appeal (…)
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The dismissal of an emergency room employee for breach of confidentiality is confirmed
In a decision rendered on December 30, 20141, arbitrator Nathalie Faucher concluded that the dismissal imposed by a hospital centre on an employee for breach of confidentiality was well-founded. The employee, an administrative agent at the emergency room of the hospital centre, was dismissed for (…)
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Dispositions ordering treatment for patients found unfit to stand trial: health institutions must provide prior consent to all components of the order, including the date of admission
On October 3, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada, by a majority decision of 5 to 4,1 confirmed that a disposition ordering the treatment of an accused who is found unfit to stand trial requires the prior consent of the designated hospital to all the terms of the disposition order, inclusive of the (…)
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Processing Users Complaints in Health Institutions : the Court of Appeal Confirms that the 45-Day Time Limit Is Not Mandatory
In an unanimous decision dated September 4, 20141 , the Court of Appeal confirmed that the 45-day time limit under the Act Respecting Health Services and Social Services2 (ARHSSS) to allow the medical examiner and the local service quality and complaints commissioner to process a user complaint is (…)
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Serious breaches of the duty of loyalty by a human resources employee – Dismissal upheld by the C.R.T.
The Commission des relations du travail, both in its initial decision and on review, dismissed the complaints challenging the dismissal of an employee despite the absence of prior disciplinary measures. The complainant, who was hired in April 2011, held a position as an administration technician for (…)
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The Superior Court of Québec Authorizes the Continuation of Care on a Comatose Patient despite the Refusal of her Parents
On April 1, 2014, the Superior Court issued an interesting decision respecting consent to care1. The Quebec City CHU petitioned the Superior Court in order to be authorized to provide care for a 60-day period to a patient despite the refusal of her parents.On March 14, the 22 years old patient (…)
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The rise and fall of the “promise” attack – A sigh of relief for the pharmaceutical industry
Canada has recently seen a surge of patent validity challenges based on lack of utility. Utility is a legal requirement for patent validity; an “invention” must have some stated or implied practical use to fulfill the requirements of the Patent Act. Normally, a scintilla of usefulness is enough. (…)
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