Ensuring Canadians can access the medicines they need starts with a resilient pharmaceutical supply chain built through collaboration.
Patient access and health equity are key priorities that guide Canada’s health care system. Both depend on a resilient pharmaceutical supply chain.
“The pharmaceutical supply chain is an essential part of Canada’s health care system because access to medicines depends on it working effectively every single day,” says Angelique Berg, President and CEO of Vital, Canada’s Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Alliance. This supply chain operates behind the scenes, “much like the electricity grid” — something we rely on without paying much attention to.
Health equity means your postal code should never determine whether or not you’re able to access needed medications.
Canada’s pharmaceutical supply chain helps ensure patients across urban, rural, remote, and northern communities can access the medications they need. Serving a country of this size presents unique logistical challenges, from long transportation distances to severe weather and limited infrastructure in some regions. Ensuring medicines reach every community safely, securely, and under the proper storage conditions requires extensive coordination, specialized expertise, and significant investment. “Health equity means your postal code should never determine whether or not you’re able to access needed medications,” says Berg. “It begins long before a patient walks into a hospital or pharmacy. It starts with ensuring medicines are available, transported safely, and delivered reliably wherever Canadians live. Before new medical advances can save lives or restore health, they need to reach a patient.”
Building resilience proactively
In a world of growing global disruptions, drug shortages, geopolitical uncertainty, extreme weather events, and evolving health care demands, securing a resilient and sovereign pharmaceutical supply chain has never been more important.
“Pharmaceutical sovereignty is ultimately about protecting patient access to medicines,” says Berg. “And while the discussions have often focused on domestic manufacturing, pharmaceutical sovereignty is much broader.” She notes that medications must be sourced, imported, transported, stored, monitored, and delivered safely across Canada. The strength of this complex network comes from trusted partnerships, operational expertise, coordinated planning, and a proactive approach.
“Building resilience means planning ahead rather than simply reacting to the disruptions,” says Berg.
Improving access and resilience
As the national alliance connecting the people and systems that move medicines across Canada, Vital plays a key role in supporting strategic collaboration among key stakeholders. Ensuring Canadians have reliable access to the medicines they need requires close collaboration between governments, health care professionals, distributors, manufacturers, and other supply chain partners.
“No organization can ensure medicine access on its own,” says Berg. “When stakeholders work together, they can identify risks earlier, coordinate responses more effectively, reduce duplication, and develop practical solutions that strengthen resilience. As medicines become more specialized and innovative therapies continue to emerge, that collaboration will become even more important to ensure patients across Canada benefit from these advances, regardless of where they live. Ultimately, that collaboration is what helps ensure patients continue to receive timely, safe, and reliable access to medications across Canada.”
Patient access and health equity are only as strong as the pharmaceutical supply chain that supports them.
“The pharmaceutical supply chain should be recognized as essential health care infrastructure,” says Berg. “Every Canadian depends on it, whether they realize it or not. Strengthening the supply chain isn’t simply an industry priority, it’s fundamental to protecting patient access and supporting a more resilient health care system for the future.”
Learn more at vital.ca.