Science-based decisions at Health Canada

Every regulatory decision by Health Canada relies on the most up-to-date scientific information possible. Find out how we use science to support our regulatory decisions. Also learn about our risk assessment process and research.

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How science is used to support regulatory decisions

Health Canada uses the most up-to-date science to inform its regulatory decisions. Our scientists are essential in making all of these decisions. For example, they:

The risk assessment process

Risk assessments are a main part of Health Canada’s decision-making process. Risk assessments are done to:

We use them to:

In a risk assessment, we aim to answer questions about a substance or product, such as:

Our experts study all of the available science and make recommendations on the level of benefit or risk. This helps us decide what actions are needed.

For more information on Health Canada’s risk assessment process, see A Primer on Scientific Risk Assessment at Health Canada.

Here are some examples of how this process works in specific areas:

Health Canada’s research

Health Canada’s scientists:

This research has led to many important discoveries. For example, our researchers:

More examples of Health Canada’s research can be found:

You can also access our data on Canada’s open government portal.

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2017-04-03