Note from the Commissioner

2017 was a busy and successful year for the PAAB. Due to our innovative mindset, we saw a lot of transformational change, and we met all our goals. We hope we are meeting your needs. The strategic plan was ratified at the AGM on April 21, 2017. The commissioner has developed an Operational plan, that looks to the future, based on that report. This will guide our activities. The board has reinstated the Executive Committee and the slate was elected at the September General Meeting. It will also act as an ad hoc Finance Committee to provide guidance for the Commissioner. We have developed a board work calendar based on the Strategic Plan. As part of the strategic plan to improve communications, the Code Committee finalized an innovative digital, interactive format for the code and that was approved by the board on April 21, 2017, at the AGM. Implementation is January 1, 2018, and we have initiated communications plan to inform our clients. A staff committee worked with Innovasium to create and develop a new, innovative website that we launched January 2, 2017.

Internally we have revamped our financial accounting software to an innovative system to be able to integrate it into our customized E-file system. Internally we have implemented a modern HR software platform to improve our performance review system and enhance internal communications.

The innovative ticketing/tagging system was implemented earlier this year and clients are starting to be familiar with it and we look forward to analyzing the data. We will continue to promote its proper use.

We had the annual bilateral meeting with Health Canada on April 18, 2017, during which we exchanged information and discuss issues of mutual concern. We also had a bilateral meeting with members of Health Canada regarding the advertising of self-care products as part of our attendance at the Health Canada consultation meeting on the modernization of self-care product regulations. The Commissioner participated in a Health Canada consultation meeting, by invitation, “Meeting the Needs of Canadians”. We discussed the merits of future HC initiatives.

The November training workshops held in Montreal and Toronto were a success. We had 450 registrants and all our speakers scored highly on the feedback forms we received. We continued our in-house training presentations at client companies. The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner presented at external events on request. The Commissioner was a judge at the EyeforPharma Global Health Awards and the OPMA Skuy Awards. We re-introduced the innovative PAAB Code Game supplied by 40Comets/Facilica after the workshops with changes based on feedback from clients. 153 registrants participated and had fun in a regulatory realm.

We have had a busy year on the review side and we handled the third largest review volume ever. The review efficiency was at its peak due to our amazing staff who continually find ways to create innovation in our systems. On the complaints side, we have had 5 stage two decisions this year with none of the material precleared by the PAAB and all five upheld. We had one stage three appeal completed in July with the commissioner’s ruling being upheld. I hope that 2018 treats you well.

Sincerely,

Ray Chepesiuk

PAAB Commissioner