Vanessa's Law – Unsafe Drugs Act
The Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act (otherwise known as Vanessa's Law) requires all hospitals to complete mandatory reporting to Health Canada on all serious Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) and Medical Device Incidents (MDIs) within 30 days of the event being documented within the hospital. The law is in effect as of December 16, 2019.
On this page, you will find the forms required to report ADRs and MDIs, as well as additional information and resources regarding Vanessa's Law.
Work Standards
Please use this Guidance Document below to help answer any question you may have while filling out the reports. If you require additional assistance, please email the Safety Centre.
Guidance Document
Information and Resources
We've created the following information and gathered resources (links) from other organizations to assist all SHA physicians and employees with understanding Vanessa's Law and the mandated reporting the law requires.
Vanessa's Law Video
Related Documents
Vanessa's Law Safety Talks
We've created Safety Talks for you to use at staff meetings or huddles. There are two options to choose from:
- Vanessa's Law Safety Talk All topics (one pager) – This one pager provides information on the basic elements of Vanessa's Law. This is ideal for departments who meet or wall walk on a weekly basis.
- Vanessa's Law Safety Talk #1, #2 and #3 provide a little more information on the basic elements of Vanessa's Law; specifically mandatory reporting, adverse drug reactions and medical device incidents. These are ideal for departments that huddle or wall walk on a daily basis.
Please choose the option that will work best for your team and their needs.