Canada Vigilance Program
The Canada Vigilance Program is Health Canada's post-market surveillance program that collects and assesses reports of suspected adverse reactions to health products marketed in Canada. Post-market surveillance enables Health Canada to monitor the safety profile of health products once they are marketed to ensure that the benefits of the products continue to outweigh the risks.
The Canada Vigilance Program has collected reports of suspected adverse reactions since 1965. Adverse reaction reports are submitted by health professionals and consumers on a voluntary basis either directly to Health Canada or via Market Authorization Holders. The following health products marketed in Canada are collected by the program: prescription and non-prescription medications; natural health products; biologics (includes biotechnology products, vaccines, fractionated blood products, human blood and blood components, as well as human cells, tissues and organs); radiopharmaceuticals; and disinfectants and sanitizers with disinfectant claims. The information collected by the program can be accessed through the Canada Vigilance Online Database.
The Canada Vigilance Program is supported by seven Canada Vigilance Regional Offices who provide a regional point-of-contact for health professionals and consumers. Reports are collected by the regional offices before being forwarded to the Canada Vigilance National Office for further analysis.
The Canada Vigilance Program provides a variety of tools for health professionals and consumers to report suspected adverse reactions. Reporting is simple and can be done online, by phone or by submitting the Side Effect Reporting Form by fax or mail.
Related Resources
- Side Effect Reporting Form
- Online Reporting to the Canada Vigilance Program
- Guidelines
- Fact Sheets
- Search the Canada Vigilance Online Database
- Learning Material - Adverse Reaction Reporting
- Consumers and Patients - Reporting Side Effects from Your Medicine: What you need to know
- Health Professional Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions
- Reporting of Adverse Reactions for Natural Health Products
Contact us
Canada Vigilance Program
Health Products Surveillance and Epidemiology Bureau
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Health Products and Food Branch
Health Canada
Address Locator 1908C
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
E-mail: canada.vigilance@hc-sc.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-866-234-2345
Facsimile: 1-866-678-6789
Teletypewriter: 1-800-465-7735 (Service Canada)
Regions
British Columbia
Canada Vigilance Regional Office - British Columbia
Health Canada
Burnaby, British Columbia
E-mail: canada.vigilance.bc@hc-sc.gc.ca
Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon
Canada Vigilance Regional Office - Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon
Health Canada
Edmonton, Alberta
E-mail: canada.vigilance.ab@hc-sc.gc.ca
Saskatchewan and Nunavut
Canada Vigilance Regional Office - Saskatchewan and Nunavut
Health Canada
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
E-mail: canada.vigilance.sk@hc-sc.gc.ca
Manitoba
Canada Vigilance Regional Office – Manitoba
Health Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
E-mail: canada.vigilance.mb@hc-sc.gc.ca
Ontario
Canada Vigilance Regional Office – Ontario
Health Canada
Toronto, Ontario
E-mail: canada.vigilance.on@hc-sc.gc.ca
Québec
Canada Vigilance Regional Office – Québec
Health Canada
Montréal, Québec
E-mail: canada.vigilance.qc@hc-sc.gc.ca
Atlantic - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and, Newfoundland and Labrador
Canada Vigilance Regional Office – Atlantic
Health Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
E-mail: canada.vigilance.atl@hc-sc.gc.ca
If you are outside the country contact:
Canada Vigilance National Office
Health Products Surveillance and Epidemiology Bureau
Marketed Health Products Directorate
Health Products and Food Branch
Health Canada
Address Locator 1908C
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
Canada
Email: canada.vigilance@hc-sc.gc.ca
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