Medical device shortages: Report a shortage

It is mandatory for manufacturers and importers to report shortages of medical devices that are on the list of medical devices: notification of shortages to Health Canada.

The requirements are outlined in Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Drugs, Medical Devices and Foods for a Special Dietary Purpose in Relation to COVID-19 (Interim Order No. 2). Interim Order No. 2 specifies which medical device shortages must be reported. It repeals and replaces Interim Order Respecting Drugs, Medical Devices and Foods for a Special Dietary Purpose in Relation to COVID-19 made by the Minister on March 30, 2020.

Report a shortage

How to report

The following information must be included in shortage reports:

name and contact information for the manufacturer and/or the importer
Medical Device Licence (MDL) number in the case of Class II, III or IV devices
authorization identification number for a device authorized for importation or sale under another interim order made under section 30.1 of the Food and Drugs Act
device identifier

includes the identifier of any medical device that is part of a system, test kit, medical device group, medical device family or device group family

name of the device and of any component, accessory or part of the affected device, including the model name (if applicable), in both English and French
description of the medical device, its packaging and an indication of whether it's a single-use device
date on which the shortage began or is anticipated to begin
date on which the manufacturer anticipates meeting the demand for the medical device, if known

At a minimum, these fields must be completed when submitting a medical device shortage report, update or final report to Health Canada.