Health Canada encourages Canadians to report incidents involving… — recall 58604

Reported risk: OTTAWA – Medical devices are vital to the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Canadians—many of whom could not survive without these devices. More than 100,000 medical devices are licensed for sale in Canada, ranging from everyday items such as bandages to complex implantable technology such as pacemakers. Canada has one of the most stringent regulatory systems in the world for medical devices. Still, all devices pose risks. The reporting of incidents involving medical devices allows Health Canada to more quickly identify, communicate and act on new or increased medical device safety concerns. With that in mind, Health Canada is asking Canadians who use medical devices to report any incident they experience to Health Canada and their healthcare provider. As part of Health Canada's Action Plan on Medical Devices , announced in December 2018, the Department is taking steps to strengthen the monitoring of these devices and follow up on incidents. This includes strengthening regulations and taking action to improve the reporting of medical device incidents by industry, healthcare providers and Canadians. We encourage Canadians to talk to their healthcare providers about the use of medical devices. Health professionals play a key role in helping patients fully understand the potential benefits and risks of different treatment options, and therefore in helping them to make informed choices about their health and well-being. We also encourage Canadians to report to their healthcare provider and Health Canada if they experience a safety issue with a medical device.