Our Scope
Quality, relevance, and timeliness.
Established in 2008, the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN) is a collaboration of established researchers from across Ontario that was formed to rapidly respond to policymakers’ needs for relevant research to guide and inform their decisions. We have the capacity to generate scientifically sound evidence related to real-world drug utilization, safety, effectiveness, and costs of drugs in Ontario, and have developed partnerships that allow us to engage in cross-provincial comparisons of drug safety and utilization. Our researchers have expertise in pharmaceutical utilization, outcomes, economics, and drug-policy research.
Our Goals
- Support evidence-informed drug policy decision-making through rapid research
- Be a leader in generating high-quality, relevant and timely research of interest to clinicians, policy-makers, academics and the general public
- Effectively communicate our findings to our stakeholders
- Provide a challenging and engaging training environment for students interested in pharmacoepidemiology and drug policy research
Our Impact
ODPRN’s integrated model in working directly with decision makers to provide timely and relevant research is innovative and has become an international example of enabling evidence-informed policy. Over 11 years, the ODPRN has published over 100 academic papers in top journals, produced over 180 policy reports, delivered over 200 presentations, and engaged with nearly 100 students in our training program.
ODPRN’s work has informed policies at the regional, provincial, national and international level focused on system efficiency, quality of care, and health outcomes. ODPRN has received national recognition of its impact, including the Bruce Squires award for the CMAJ article most likely to influence clinical practice and an Institute of Public Administration of Canada Public Sector Leadership Award for Impact.
Read more about our specific research impact stories.
Our Structure
The ODPRN is comprised of four fully integrated units:
Read more about each of our units and what they do.
Funding
The ODPRN is funded by grants from the Ontario Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Funding for the ODPRN is also provided by Ontario SPOR Support Unit, which is supported by the CIHR, the Province of Ontario and partner Ontario hospital foundations and institutes. The ODPRN is also supported by ICES, which is funded by an annual grant from the MOH and the Ministry of Long-Term Care (MLTC). The opinions, results, and conclusions reported by the ODPRN are independent from these funding sources. No endorsement by ICES, the Ontario MOH, MLTC, or CIHR is intended or should be inferred.